


Laid Bare

by Isra



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-21
Updated: 2014-02-14
Packaged: 2018-01-12 10:28:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1185197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isra/pseuds/Isra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I know very little about medicine & hospitals and I apologize in advance for any inaccuracies contained herein.</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know very little about medicine & hospitals and I apologize in advance for any inaccuracies contained herein.

**Disclaimer:** This is entirely made up, not real, etc.; I have no claim on these characters and do not know the real life people at all, and no one should take it seriously in any way.    


Rhett was driving down San Fernando Mission Boulevard in the North Valley when his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and saw it was Christy. It was unusual for her to be calling, especially on a Saturday, but not unheard of. Maybe there was something wrong with Link’s phone so he was using his wife’s. Rhett pressed the hands-free icon on his dash to connect the phone and answer the call. “Hello?”

“Rhett.” Christy’s voice was strange. It was hard to hear over the sound of the road noise, but it didn’t sound like her normal cheerful self. “Are you driving right now?” she asked.

Rhett glanced at the phone again, as if it could answer the unformed questions that sprang to mind. “Uh, yeah. What’s up?”

“Can you pull over?” 

Rhett started to ask why, but something in her voice made him pause. He started to feel a creeping dread in the pit of his stomach. He turned the wheel and came to a stop in the parking lot of an office building. 

“Okay, Christy, I’m pulled over.” 

With the engine idle, he heard the quaver in her voice more clearly. “Rhett, something happened on the mountain. Link’s been hurt.” The last word came out in a sob.

The dread clamped firmly around Rhett’s ribcage. He felt the blood drain from his face. “Oh my God. How – “ he swallowed. “How bad?” 

Christy drew a shaky breath. “I don’t know yet. They said – they said he went over the edge. He fell, there were some rocks –“ she was crying. “They had to get him with a helicopter. They don’t know – they don’t know…” 

Rhett had an insane urge to run; run back to yesterday, when Link told him he was planning to try biking down the mountain again, and beg him not to. As if he could run fast enough to get there before it happened. Or at least get there in time to catch him when… 

He took a deep breath and tried to quash the building sense of hysteria. “Okay,” he said. “Okay, Christy. It’s going to be okay.” He was speaking to himself as much as to her. “Where did they take him?”

“Glendale Memorial. I’m headed there as soon as the sitter gets here.” 

“All right. I’ll get there as soon as I can. I’m on the other side of town so it might take me a while.” 

“Okay, Rhett. Thank you.” 

“It’ll be okay, Christy.”

“I hope so. See you there.” 

“Bye.”

The drive to the hospital was agonizingly slow. Rhett gripped the steering wheel with both hands, wringing them at every stoplight. He called Jessie to let her know what was happening, trying to make it sound less dire so she wouldn’t worry too much, at least until they knew what they were dealing with. But once the words “helicopter rescue” enter a conversation, it becomes hard to downplay the severity of the situation. 

After he hung up, he flipped through the radio stations mindlessly, looking for a distraction, then gave up and switched off the stereo. In the silence, he realized he was muttering under his breath, like a mantra: “C’mon, Link… c’mon, Link.” He had to be okay. He just had to.

He finally made it to the hospital and parked in the visitor lot. When he stood up from the car, his knees were trembling with panicked energy. He jogged to the doors of the emergency entrance. They opened automatically and he hurried to the reception desk. The receptionist there greeted him with a friendly, if detached expression. “Can I help you?” 

“Yes, I’m here to see Link Neal, ah, Charles Neal.” Rhett stumbled over his rapid words. “He was brought here on a helicopter.”

The man looked sympathetic. “Are you a relative?”

“No, a friend.” 

The receptionist shook his head. “I’m sorry, Sir. I can’t divulge any information except to immediate family members.”

Rhett gripped the edge of the counter with both hands to keep from leaping over it. He took a deep breath against the panic rising up in his throat, and tried to keep his voice reasonable. “Well, we’re basically family. We’ve been –“ his voice hitched.  “—we’ve been best friends since first grade.” 

The man was kind but firm. “I’m sorry, Sir,” he said again. “If he has relatives here, they’ll be able to grant you access to him. In the meantime I’m afraid you’ll have to wait.” 

Rhett looked at the double swinging doors beyond the waiting room. He had a brief moment where he considered charging through them and going from room to room until he found his friend. Instead, he thanked the man and walked slowly to the row of chairs against the wall. It wouldn’t help anyone if he got himself kicked out of the place.  

He sent Christy a text to say he was in the waiting room. It took twice as long as it should have because his fingers were trembling over the keypad. He sat heavily into one of the chairs, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. He cupped his face in his hands, shielding his eyes from the harsh fluorescent lighting and trying to keep his mind blank of what-ifs. He focused on his mantra: C’mon, Link. 

He didn’t know how much time passed until he heard Christy’s voice. “Rhett?”

She was walking toward him with red-rimmed eyes, having come from the double swinging doors. Rhett stood quickly and opened his arms, enfolding her in a hug. Her voice was muffled against his chest as she said, “He’s alive, they say he’s stable, but he hasn’t woken up since the fall. He had a helmet on, thank God, but the impact...” She took a deep breath. “They saw some swelling on the CT scan so they took him into surgery.”

Rhett felt like the ground was tilting under his feet. “Swelling where? What kind of surgery?”

Christy’s shoulders were shaking. “Swelling in his brain. They’re doing surgery to relieve the pressure.” 

“Oh my God, Christy.”  

She took a step back and wiped her face. Rhett tried to gather his own composure. There was nothing he could do now but wait, pray, and try to support her as best he could.

They passed a few hours in the waiting room, silent except for the local news station on the television. Rhett texted various family members with the additional information, but otherwise kept his phone away. It didn’t seem right to get on email or Twitter while Link was lying in an operating room somewhere with God knows what happening to him. He flipped restlessly through some of the entertainment magazines on the table, not really seeing what he was looking at. Time crawled by.

Eventually a man in blue hospital scrubs came through the double doors and walked over to them. They both leapt to their feet. “Mrs. Neal?” he asked. Christy nodded. “Charles is out of surgery. It went very well and he’s stable now. We installed a temporary shunt to relieve the pressure.”

Christy and Rhett both expressed their gratitude and relief. The surgeon continued, “He has still not regained consciousness, and we can’t predict when he will, but we expect it to be soon. It’s impossible to tell if he will have any cognitive or functional deficits at first, but we’re optimistic that he should make a full recovery eventually.”

“Oh thank God,” Christy whispered. 

Rhett nodded his agreement. “Thank you, doctor. Can we see him?” 

The surgeon escorted them to the door of a recovery room in the ICU. He remained there while they entered, available to answer questions but not intruding. 

Link lay on the hospital bed surrounded by machines. His head was swathed in bandages and his eyes were closed. His right arm and shoulder were secured in a brace and there was a pulse monitor on his index finger. A rack of IVs stood by his shoulder, tubing running from one into a needle in the back of his right hand. The room had the wintergreen scent of industrial antiseptic. 

As Rhett approached, he saw wires running from other machines to various places under the low collar of Link’s hospital gown. He also saw Link’s face more clearly. His lower lip was split and swollen, and one cheek was darkly bruised underneath a crosshatch of abrasions. There was dried blood along the edge of the bandage near Link’s left ear and along his jaw where it had smeared, and also around the rims of his nostrils. The hair sticking out from underneath the bandage was matted with a dark substance. He was not wearing his glasses.

Christy sat down in the chair next to the bed and took Link’s left hand. She was weeping softly. Rhett stood at the foot of the bed for a few minutes, unsure of what to do. He eventually took the chair on the other side of the bed, moving carefully around the machines and tubes. It hurt to look at Link’s face, but he forced himself to, with the thought that maybe, by doing so, he could somehow take the pain away from Link and onto himself. 

Link’s skin was waxy, his eyelids and long eyelashes damp with tears or sweat. His breathing was regular and deep through slightly parted lips, but otherwise he was completely motionless. The machines connected to him beeped quietly, their screens scrolling cryptic numbers and acronyms. 

The sun set slowly outside the window as a number of specialists circulated through the room, giving Christy more details about Link’s condition and prognosis. Everyone reiterated the surgeon’s optimism about his recovery, but could not give an estimate on how long it might take him to wake up, or what state he would be in when he did. Rhett did learn that, in addition to the head trauma, Link’s right collarbone was fractured and he had some deep bruises and cuts along his right side. 

After the last specialist departed, Christy stepped out of the room briefly with her phone. When she returned, she told Rhett that, if he thought it would be okay, she needed to go home and take care of the kids. Rhett checked in with Jessie and confirmed she didn’t need him at home, and told Christy he would stay with Link through the night. She said she would clear it with the hospital staff and make sure Rhett would be able to. Then she thanked him, hugged him, kissed Link gently on the forehead, and left.

Rhett moved to the other chair and sat down. He leaned over with his elbows on the bed’s guardrails. He reached for Link’s hand, then stopped himself. It seemed too intimate a gesture, somehow. Taking his hand, when Link was always so uncomfortable about casual touching, seemed like an acknowledgement that Link was in really bad shape – as if taking his hand would signify that he was dying or something. Instead, Rhett started talking, watching Link’s face for any response. 

“Hey, Link. Hey, buddy. I wish you hadn’t gone on that mountain today. I wish I had come up with a project for us to do together, or told you to pick something a little safer.” Rhett rubbed his eyes and tried to force a lighter tone to his voice. “But just think of the stories we’ll be able to tell once this is all over. That’ll be one awesome GMM. Maybe we can write a song about it.”

Link’s chest rose and fell, regularly. Rhett kept talking. “I know everything is gonna be fine. You’ve got a great team here, you’re safe, I’m here with you now. You’ll always have someone here. We’ll get through this together.”

He continued saying comforting words, knowing he was repeating himself and Link probably couldn’t hear him anyway, but it made him feel like he was doing something. Eventually he started to feel drowsy. He slouched far down into the seat, stretched his legs out far, and leaned his head back, still talking. He wasn’t aware of the point at which he stopped forming words and fell into a light, troubled sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Rhett awoke to a nurse entering the room and opening the curtains. Thin dawn light streamed in. His back was stiff and his neck ached. It took him a few seconds to remember what had happened and where he was. He glanced over at Link, who looked much the same as he had the previous night, still motionless except for the slow rise and fall of his chest.  Still covered in wires, tubing, bandages, and dried blood.  
  
The nurse noticed Rhett was awake and said good morning. Rhett returned the greeting and asked, “How is he?”  
  
She bustled around the bed, checking the various monitors and collection bags. “He’s doing well,” she assured Rhett. “Everything looks good to me.”  
  
Rhett stared at Link’s face. “But he’s not awake.”  
  
She smiled kindly. “No, not yet. His brain probably just needs some time to get itself back together.”  
  
She made some notes on the chart at the foot of the bed, then patted Rhett’s arm as she turned to go. “You’re a good friend, keeping him company. The doctor will be by on rounds shortly and can answer any of your questions.”  
  
Rhett puttered around the room for an hour or so, checking email for emergencies and sending Jessie an update. He also let Jason know the situation and asked him to inform the rest of the crew.  
  
By the time the doctor came by, Christy had already returned and was sitting holding Link’s hand. The doctor checked the chart, examined Link’s pupils and tested his reflexes (or rather, confirmed there were none), and told them that things were going as expected. He said they’d do another CT scan later that day, as well as an EEG to test for brain function.  
  
He also noted that, if Link didn’t wake up in the next twenty-four hours, they would have to put in a feeding tube to prevent malnutrition. Rhett thought that surely it wouldn’t come to that. The warm sunlight and the doctor’s optimistic demeanor made him feel pretty hopeful. He told Christy he’d go home for the day and come back after dinner if he didn’t hear from her sooner, and she agreed that was a good plan.  
  
The day passed in a haze of exhaustion. In the early afternoon, Christy texted that the CT scan looked fine, but the EEG showed reduced brain function. Nothing especially critical, but it did confirm that Link was in a coma. Hearing the awful word suddenly made everything seem more real. Rhett tried to distract himself with mundane tasks, spending time with Jessie and the boys, as day crawled into night.  
  
He packed up to go back to the hospital. On the spur of the moment, he grabbed his guitar on his way out the door. When he arrived at Link’s room in the ICU, Christy was asleep in her chair, head resting on Link’s uninjured shoulder. Rhett woke her gently. She smiled when she saw the guitar. “Oh, he’ll like that.”  
  
Rhett smiled back. “I hope so. It will at least give me something to do.”  
  
She gave Rhett a few more details about the day’s tests and outcomes, which basically boiled down to no great revelations. There were no major treatment options, really;  they were just going to have to wait and see how long it took Link to wake up on his own.  
  
After Christy left, Rhett sat in the chair and looked at his friend. The bandage on Link’s head had been changed and most of the blood cleaned off his face and neck. Aside from that, he looked much the same as the previous night. The bruises on his cheek and jaw had progressed, taking on darker purple shades among the bright reds.  
  
Rhett took out his guitar, tuned it, and began playing softly. He started off playing old songs of theirs, reaching way back to remember the silly lyrics they had written together. Some of the songs they hadn’t sung in years. He was feeling pretty good until he started noticing how empty they sounded without Link’s harmony, and his voice began to falter.  
  
He switched to old country western standards, songs they used to like as kids and were easy to play. Sometimes he just picked through random chord progressions just to fill the space and cover the sound of the machines. Link’s chest rose and fell. His eyes stayed closed.  
  
Hours passed and Rhett’s left hand was aching and his back stiff from sitting with the guitar on his thigh. The nurses making their evening rounds smiled at Rhett and stayed to listen to him finish a song before moving on. When they were gone, he put away his guitar and leaned his elbows on the bed’s guardrail.  
  
“Listen, Link,” he said softly. “You’re gonna have to wake up.” He watched Link’s pulse beat slowly under the thin skin of his neck, shadowed by three days’ growth of stubble. “C’mon. We’ve got stuff to do. And I can’t… I can’t do it on my own. Plus, you really don’t want them to stick a tube down your throat. I know how much you’d hate that.”  
  
He reached out and patted Link awkwardly on the forearm. There was no response. Rhett sighed. “Well, one more night, all right? Tomorrow you’re gonna come back to us.”  
  
Rhett stretched out in the too-small chair again and tried to fall asleep. He must have managed it eventually.  
  
***  
  
The next morning was much the same as the previous one. The nurses woke Rhett at dawn and checked on various things in the room and on Link’s person. Christy arrived shortly after to take over the bedside vigil. There was no evident change in Link’s condition.  
  
Rhett drove home in a daze. He took a shower and got into some clean clothes. He slept some during the day, trying to build up his reserves. It was looking like this could be his lifestyle indefinitely.  
  
In the afternoon he got a text from Christy saying the doctor had put in the nasogastric feeding tube. Rhett winced, imagining how uncomfortable Link would be with it… if he felt anything. Rhett shook his head, refusing to follow that train of thought. Everyone said they needed to maintain hope, and that was what he was going to do.  
  
When he arrived back at Link’s room that evening, Christy wasn’t there, but her coat was on the chair. Rhett went to the bed and stood at Link’s shoulder, looking down at him. A clear tube now ran from off the side of the bed up into one of Link’s nostrils, where it was taped in place. Additional tape secured it to the side of his jaw. Rhett suppressed a gagging sensation in his throat just imagining it.  
  
He was still standing there when Christy entered the room holding a cup of coffee.  She looked incredibly worn down. Rhett gave her a hug and they discussed the few new developments of the day, then she excused herself to go home and sleep.  
  
Rhett sat in the chair by Link’s shoulder and looked at his friend. It was still so disorienting to see him like this, even after two days to get used to it. Link was always moving, always bouncing and fidgeting and making weird little faces. The natural state of his eyes was gleaming wide with excitement and fascination, not… this. Not this suspended animation, free from personality or spark.  
  
Rhett could feel himself starting to lose his grip on his optimism. How long was Link going to be like this? Rhett knew enough about comas to know that the longer they lasted, the worse off the person generally was when they came out of it. What if he wasn’t the same? What if he couldn’t function?  
  
Rhett tried to take deep breaths and push away the dire thoughts. He felt tears pricking the corners of his eyes and blinked rapidly to clear them. Hold it together, man.  
  
He reached for Link’s hand. Maybe it was time to acknowledge how bad things were. Link’s hand was limp, but warm. It felt alive. Rhett folded his fingers around it and focused on that sensation of life. He leaned over, practically folded in half in the chair, and laid his head on the mattress next to Link’s arm. He felt the warmth of Link’s body and the subtle shift every time he inhaled.  
  
Rhett closed his eyes and thought back to when they were kids. They talked so much in class that teachers frequently separated them to opposite sides of the room. They would still manage to communicate despite that — they learned to read each other’s expressions so well that words weren’t necessary. Sometimes they carried on entire conversations with subtle nods and glances.  
  
They knew each other so well they could practically predict what the other was going to say. He couldn’t remember the last time he had gone this long without hearing Link’s voice. The possibility of not hearing it again intruded into his brain before he could stop it, and the tears began to escape his closed eyelids. He tightened his hand around Link’s and let the tears flow silently. At some point, still hunched awkwardly over the chair, he drifted off to sleep.  
  
***  
  
He awoke to semi-darkness and a disorienting sensation of movement under his hand — Link’s hand turning, grasping. Rhett sat bolt upright and searched Link’s face. His eyelids were fluttering.  
  
“Link? Link!” Rhett squeezed his hand, watching as Link’s eyes opened fully and darted around the room before coming to rest on Rhett’s face. His expression was full of pain and confusion. He started to open his mouth and stopped, wincing as he felt the split lip. His Adam’s apple moved as he tried to swallow around the NG tube, the expression of alarm growing on his face.    
  
Rhett was nearly crying with relief and grinning at the same time. “Link, it’s okay. You had a bike accident, but you’re okay now. You’re in the hospital.”  
  
The turmoil on Link’s face didn’t dissipate. He looked at Rhett with a furrowed brow and twitched the hand Rhett was still holding tightly in his excitement. Rhett let go of it and pulled out his cellphone. “I’ll let Christy know you’re awake.”  
  
At the mention of his wife’s name, Link seemed to relax slightly. One side of his mouth twitched into a brief smile. He spoke carefully, hardly moving his lips, eyes squinted with effort. “Thank you…” he paused for breath. “…Doctor?”  
  
“Ah, hah, it’s Rhett, buddy.” Link didn’t reply. It was dark in the room, or maybe something had happened to Link’s eyesight — though the doctors hadn’t mentioned that was a possibility. Whatever the reason for Link’s confusion, Rhett wasn’t about to dwell on it when the important thing was that his friend was conscious again.  
  
Link had closed his eyes, exhausted by the effort of speaking. He whimpered faintly, head moving restlessly from side to side, with the growing awareness of the amount of pain his body was in. Rhett stepped out of the room to get the night attendant. Once someone was checking Link’s vitals and giving him the pain medication he needed, Rhett dialed Christy’s number to tell her the good news.

 


	3. Chapter 3

It only took a short time for Christy to get to the hospital after Rhett’s exuberant phone call. Dawn was breaking by the time she entered the room. Link had already fallen back asleep by the time Rhett was off the phone, but now it was just the normal deep sleep of someone on narcotics. Christy rushed to his side and took his hand, her eyes filled with tears of relief. Link woke and squinted to bring her face into focus, then smiled lopsidedly, the right side of his face still slow to respond. 

Rhett stepped out of the room to give them some privacy. He texted Jessie with the good news, not wanting to wake her or the boys with a call. It looked like they might be out of the woods.

Christy came out of the room a few minutes later, beaming. “He’s asleep now. But he’s able to talk and move everything, he seems to know what’s going on…” She hugged Rhett tightly. “Thank God.”

Rhett hugged her back. “That’s great. That’s amazing. He’s really gonna be okay.”

They made plans for Rhett to come back in the evening again, to keep Link company overnight. Christy would remain at the hospital now, staying for the day to see what the team wanted to do for the treatment plan now that Link was conscious. She promised to let Rhett know if there were any significant developments. 

Rhett spent the day with his family, occasionally napping to try to catch up on sleep. It felt like a weight was off his shoulders and he found himself smiling as he moved about the house. No doubt there would be a lot of rehabilitation in Link’s future, but they would get through it. 

When he returned to the hospital after dinner, the receptionist told him that Link had been moved from the ICU to a standard room. Rhett made his way through the maze of hallways and eventually found the right number. He knocked on the door and opened it a crack. “Hello, anyone home?”

Christy called out, “Come on in, Rhett!”

He pushed the door open the rest of the way. The room was smaller than the previous one, with fewer machines and equipment racks. The wintergreen antiseptic smell was fainter but still present. There were still a couple of monitors that scrolled LED readouts and pinged softly in slow rhythm. 

Link’s bed was half-raised so he was sitting up on an incline. He no longer had the feeding tube up his nose, but the rest of the sensors and tubing were still attached to various parts of him. The three-day growth of stubble shadowed the lower half of his face. The bandages on his head had been changed again, this time to a smaller one that only covered the surgical site itself, just behind Link’s left ear. His head had been shaved on that side all the way to the part and the visible skin was mottled with red-purple bruising and yellow iodine. 

Link was smiling at Christy, the right side of his mouth less mobile than the left, the swelling in his lower lip lessened but not gone. As Rhett approached the foot of the bed, Link looked at him and his smile faded.

Rhett said, “Hey Link, I see you finally decided you had enough sleep, huh?”

Link’s brow furrowed. He looked at Christy, who smiled at him, then back to Rhett’s face. He tilted his head slightly, working his lower lip in concentration. Finally he said, “I’m sorry, I don’t think I know who you are.”

Christy gasped. Rhett felt a flood of visceral shock for a split second before he clamped down on it. It was important not to upset Link and risk jeopardizing his recovery. Rhett clenched his jaw with the effort of keeping his expression neutral. 

“Uh, Link,” he said, “I’m Rhett. I’m your friend. We’ve known each other for a long time.”

The cloud of confusion on Link’s face deepened. He looked at Christy, who nodded in confirmation and told him, “He’s your best friend, honey. Just take your time and it’ll come back to you.”

Rhett suddenly felt conscious of the fact that he was looming over the bed. Old Link was used to his tallness, but Rhett was always aware of how it made some people uncomfortable, and if this Link didn’t know him… He pulled another chair up next to Christy, but far enough from the bed that Link wouldn’t feel crowded. Link was watching him with wide eyes, lips pursed in consternation. “Can you maybe try to jog my memory?” he asked.

Rhett looked down at his hands. There was so much — where to begin? Maybe chronologically. “Well, we met in first grade. In Miss Locklear’s class. We got in trouble and stayed in from recess…” He looked up. Link was staring at him intently, but a slight shake of his head chilled Rhett’s blood anew. They had told the story so many times, in countless interviews. Heck, they had spent months making a movie about it. 

Rhett chewed his lip. Okay, maybe something more recent. “Uh, we also work together. That’s how we make a living. We make videos.”

Link nodded slowly. “I remember something about cameras, and singing…”

Rhett felt encouraged. “And doing that stuff with me?”

Link considered for a moment, looking pained. “I’m sorry, man. I don’t. The details are all a blank.”

Rhett scratched his beard while he endeavored to not freak out. “All right,” he said eventually. “All right, Link, I’m sure it’s just a temporary thing. It’ll come back to you. Just give it time.” He sounded more confident than he felt.

Link nodded. “I’m sure.” He winced, this time from physical pain. He turned to Christy and said, “Can you hit the meds button for me, dear?” She did so. Link apologized to both of them. “I’m sorry, I really want to work this out, but my head is pounding and my shoulder feels like it’s on fire…” His voice trailed off, and after a minute or so he had drifted off to sleep.

Once he was out, Christy turned to Rhett with wide eyes. “What if he doesn’t remember you?” she whispered.

Rhett shook his head. “It’ll come back to him. His head wasn’t hurt that badly, and he just woke up. We’ll give it time.” She nodded.

They discussed their next course of action. Now that Link seemed to be out of the worst of it, physically at least, it didn’t seem quite as necessary to keep a constant vigil at his side. The hospital team wanted to keep him a little while longer for observation, but if all went well, they thought he would be discharged in a day or two. Rhett also had to acknowledge, painful as it was, that Link probably didn’t want him to visit all the time, if he perceived Rhett as a stranger. 

They decided Rhett would go home for the night and come back the following evening, not to stay over but just to check in. Rhett stood up to go, but it was hard to make himself leave the room with so many unanswered questions about the future. He studied Link’s sleeping face for a long moment. Without his glasses, with the bruises and the bandage, and the muscle slackness from the narcotics, he looked so very vulnerable. How was Rhett going to take care of him if he didn’t even know who Rhett was?

He fought back the gathering tears as he hugged Christy goodbye, and kept fighting them all the way home.


	4. Chapter 4

Rhett should have gotten a decent night’s sleep for once, since he was back in his own bed at a normal time of night. Instead, anxiety plus his messed up sleep schedule made it almost entirely futile. He got up early and made breakfast for Jessie and the kids as they still slept, and left it out with a note saying he’d gone to the studio.

When he arrived, the building was dark. He had informed the crew that they were now on indefinite hiatus until they knew more about Link’s condition. Now he sent them a brief note saying things might take a bit longer to work themselves out than he thought, but promised to keep them informed. 

He flipped on a few lights, just the ones he needed to find his way around. After a few days of being shut down, the place smelled slightly musty. His footsteps echoed with no one else for the noise to bounce off of. 

He went to the GMM set and turned on the lights. He started the camera recording, then walked around to the other side of the table. He thought briefly of moving the chairs and sitting in the middle, and shook his head. He sat down in his customary seat and glanced at the monitor to make sure the frame was set up properly. The empty space to his left loomed like a gaping void. He faced the camera, passed a hand over his face to compose himself, and started talking.

“Good morning, Mythical Beasts. You may have noticed that there has not been an episode of Good Mythical Morning for the past few days. And you may notice that Link is not here right now. That is very observant of you. Well, I just wanted to post a brief video so that you wouldn’t worry. It’s not great news, but everything is going to be okay, and you don’t need to freak out about it. Okay?” He paused to raise his eyebrows at the camera, then continued.

“Link had an accident with his bike. Now, I’m sure we’ll be here telling you all the gory details soon enough, so I wouldn’t want to spoil anything for you. Suffice it to say, Link’s gonna be fine, he just needs some time off to recover. So this video is our announcement that Good Mythical Morning is going on indefinite hiatus starting now. Please follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, et cetera to see when we announce its return. If you want to send Link any get-well goodies, you can find the PO box on our website. We both really appreciate your support and again, everything is going to be fine.”

He thought for a moment to make sure he had said everything he needed to say, then got up and shut off the camera.

He grabbed a spare laptop and external hard drive and started copying videos onto it. He copied all of the GMMs and GMCLs, the Mythical Show, music videos, pretty much everything that the two of them ever put on YouTube. It was going to take hours to copy the seven years of files, so in the meantime Rhett edited and uploaded the video he just made. Hopefully it would tide the fans over without concerning them too much. 

He also took the opportunity to take a nap on the studio couch. He tried not to think about the many hours he and Link had sat there working on songs or thinking of skits. It was impossible, though. Link’s presence permeated the studio. His face and his work were everywhere. 

Once the files were all copied and the sun was setting, Rhett packed up the laptop and hard drive and headed to the hospital. He texted Christy when he finished parking and she met him outside the door to Link’s room. Her expression was grave.

“He still doesn’t remember you, at all,” she told him. “I’ve tried telling him about you, and he just gets frustrated and scared. I don’t know how much to keep pushing him.”

Rhett lifted the laptop bag. “I brought something I hope will help. It’s pretty much all the videos we ever made. I figure he might want some time to look at it without you or I staring at him and asking him questions. At the very least, it’ll provide some entertainment.”

Christy forced a smile. “That’s great, Rhett. I think he’ll really appreciate it.” 

“I hope so. Or he might be really freaked out by it.”

She nodded in acknowledgment. “Let me just tell him I’ll be gone for an hour or so to get dinner. I’ll be right back.”

When she re-emerged from the room a few minutes later, Rhett entered. Link was sitting further upright in the bed, looking alert. He had a tray over his lap and was poking at the remnants of a meal with a fork in his left hand. His right arm was still in a brace, immobilized to the shoulder. His bruises looked more purple; the swelling in his lower lip was nearly gone, but there was a dark red scab where it had split.

“Hey, Link.”

“Hey, Rhett.” Link said his name as if it were the first time he had ever said it. The alien sound of it sat like a weight on Rhett’s chest. He tried to ignore it and press forward. 

He swung the laptop bag off his shoulder and showed it to Link. “I brought you a present.”

Link smiled, still lopsided. “Oh?” 

“If you’re done with your dinner, I can set this up for you.” 

Link gestured that he was finished and Rhett moved the tray over to a side counter. He unpacked the laptop and connected the hard drive, then set it up on the tray facing Link. He had to stand close to the bed and lean over in front of Link to get it started and navigate to the files. He turned his head and saw that Link was looking at him intently, bright blue eyes only a foot or so away. His expression was curious, with an element of something Rhett couldn’t interpret. After a moment, Link looked away. 

Rhett clicked the trackpad to open the directory on the hard drive, then sat down in the chair next to the bed. “I didn’t have time to do anything fancy,” he explained, “but here are pretty much all the videos we made together in the last seven years or so.” 

On the screen were over a thousand videos sorted chronologically. Link said, “Oh my goodness. I don’t even know where to begin.”

It did look pretty impressive all in one place like that. “Well, this is how we’ve been making a living, you know,” Rhett said. “We need to get your memory back so we can keep doing that.” He tried to sound light, but they both knew the subject was a serious one. Sure, they could roll along on merchandise sales and ad revenues for quite a while, but not indefinitely. Rhett had a hard time imagining a solo “Rhett” brand doing very well.

“Here, maybe this would be a good start.” He clicked on Looking for Miss Locklear. The opening scene started. Rhett turned off the overhead lights and sat down in the chair next to the bed. He watched for a few minutes as the changing light from the screen danced over Link’s face, hoping to see some spark of recognition when the movie showed the two of them walking through their old elementary school. There was none.

Rhett turned back to the screen so he wouldn’t make Link self-conscious. They watched the entire movie in silence. Rhett had seen it so many times he pretty much had the dialogue memorized, and Link should have too. Instead, Link reacted to each scene as if it were the first time he saw it. 

“I remember going there, and I remember doing this… but I can’t remember who I was with or how.” Link sounded frustrated. 

“It’s okay, just give it time,” Rhett told him. Christy entered the room just as the credits were rolling. She smiled hopefully at her husband. “Anything?” 

Link shook his head. “I don’t get it. Why can I remember everything else and not this?” 

Christy glanced at Rhett, then said, “Well, like the doctors said, the region of your brain that got hurt must have been the part that stores those memories. And remember, there might be more you just don’t realize you’ve forgotten yet.” She saw how frustrated Link looked and hastened to add, “But they did say it was likely to be temporary. Just be patient, honey.”

Link sighed. “Patience is not something I have a lot of right now.” Christy patted his hand.

There was a stretch of uncomfortable silence. Eventually Rhett stood up and said, “Well, I think I should be going. I’ll come back tomorrow.” He gestured to the laptop. “Enjoy.”

Link looked at him with a troubled expression. “Thanks, Rhett,” he said. “I really appreciate it.”

***

When Rhett returned to Link’s room the next day, the door was ajar. He glanced in to see Link alone, looking at the laptop on the tray across his lap. Christy must have stepped out. 

Rhett knocked and entered just as the cheerful strains of the Good Mythical More outro played. Link turned toward him and Rhett saw his friend’s eyes were red-rimmed and gleaming. 

“Rhett,” Link said, “We were… really close, weren’t we.” 

Rhett felt tears spring to his own eyes and blinked them back. He moved to Link’s side. “We are still close, buddy.” 

Link lifted his left arm, reaching for him, and Rhett took his hand. It was an awkward maneuver, certainly not characteristic of the old Link. 

Link looked up at him, still glasses-less and vulnerable-seeming. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I do feel like I know you better after watching these videos all day, but in a lot of ways it’s like I’m just meeting you for the first time.”

Rhett squeezed his hand, unsure of what to say that would provide any comfort. He tried a joke. “Well, I hope you like me as much the second time around!”

Link’s face flushed slightly. He let go of Rhett’s hand, appearing suddenly self-conscious. “I do like you,” he said. “I’d… I’d like to get to know you even better.” He paused for a second and then laughed. “Uh, that was a weird thing to say. But you know what I meant. Better than I do now.” 

Rhett smiled down at him. “I know what you meant. Once you get out of here, we’ll work on that.” 

Christy entered the room and smiled when she saw them talking. “He’s been watching your videos nonstop all day,” she told Rhett. 

Rhett grinned. “That’s a recipe for crazy,” he said, and they all laughed.

Christy explained that she had been talking with the hospital team, who were optimistic that Link could be discharged the following day. The physical damage was healing well and it was time for him to be up and moving around. There were a lot of exercises he needed to do to strengthen and regain the coordination of his right side, though that would be limited until his collarbone had mended more. 

The main issue, Christy said, was the unusual memory gap. At this point in the conversation, Link spoke up. “The doctors think I need as much exposure to the stuff I’ve forgotten as possible.” He looked at Rhett with a shy smile. “Christy and I were thinking, if you didn’t mind, I could stay at the studio most of the time. With you.”

Rhett considered this for a moment. Link rushed to add, “Not, like, twenty-four seven. I need to spend some time with my family of course. As I’m sure you do too.” 

Christy added, “But since that’s where the memory loss is, if you don’t mind, Rhett…”

Rhett shook his head. “No, no, of course I don’t mind. I can help you with the rehab and everything. I think it’s a great idea. I need to check with Jessie and make sure it’s okay, but I’m sure it will be.” 

Link smiled, looking relieved. “Oh, good. I think it’ll help a lot.” 

Rhett continued, “It’ll probably be more comfortable for you there, since everything you need is on the ground floor, like the kitchen and the bathroom. Plus there’s the walk-in full-sized shower.” He paused, then added, “There is only the one pull-out sofa bed, though.” 

Link laughed. “That’s okay. I watched the video where we talked about sharing beds. I know I’ll be safe.”

Rhett grinned. “But will I be?” 

Link’s laugh was more like a giggle this time. “Oh, of course. I’ll behave.”

The tone of their banter seemed slightly different than Rhett remembered from before the accident. If he didn’t know better, he would say Link was almost being a bit… flirtatious? Rhett glanced at Christy, who was chuckling at their exchange. She didn’t seem to have noticed anything strange. 

Rhett told himself to stop being weird. Personality changes were common enough after brain injuries and likely temporary anyway. He focused on the task at hand. “All right,” he said, “I’ll pick up some stuff at home to make the studio more livable.” 

They brainstormed a bunch of things they might need or want, and soon Rhett had a pretty extensive list. He stood up to depart and Link reached out for his hand again. 

Rhett took it, and it felt less awkward this time. Link looked up at him with a lopsided smile. “Thanks, man. I know this is a lot to ask, but… I really want to get back what we had before. “

“Me too, man.” 

Rhett squeezed his hand before letting go. He wished them both a good night and walked out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

When Link was discharged the following afternoon, Christy took him home for some much-needed time with the kids. He slept at home the first night and Christy brought him to the studio the next day. Rhett was already there waiting for him, having stocked the fridge and pantry and brought in a couple armloads of bedding and towels. He came out to the parking lot as Christy pulled in, and walked to the passenger side. He saw Link awkwardly reaching across his body with his left hand to open the door and hastened to open it for him. 

Link’s arm was in a sling and he wore a loose button-up plaid shirt, grey cotton lounge pants and sandals. The surgical site behind his left ear was now uncovered, and Rhett winced when he saw the semicircular row of dark staples in Link’s skin, surrounded by bruising.

With some effort, Link swung his legs out of the car, then leaned forward to stand. He paused, squinting up at Rhett in the bright sunlight. He still didn’t have his glasses—evidently they had shattered in the fall and he didn’t have any spares with the right prescription. He saw the expression on Rhett’s face and nodded. “I know, it doesn’t look great. It doesn’t feel great, to be honest.” 

“Eh, I can take it,” Rhett replied. “It looks pretty badass, actually.” He leaned down and looked through the car to the driver’s side to exchange hellos with Christy. 

Link reached out his left arm. “Could I have a hand? I’m not entirely steady yet and I’d rather not fall on my ass in a public lot.” 

Rhett took Link’s elbow gently and held it as his friend put most of his weight on it, pulling himself to his feet. Link hooked his arm around Rhett’s and together they walked to the studio. Rhett smiled to himself — if it weren’t for the slight hesitancy in Link’s right leg, it almost felt like they were an old-fashioned couple promenading in the park. 

They got inside and Rhett delivered Link to the couch, then returned to unload the car. Christy also came inside with an armload of things, then said goodbye to the two of them and left. The plan was for her to return the following morning, after they had seen if spending the night in the studio helped Link’s memory at all.

The first thing Link wanted to do was explore the building. He toured the kitchen, bathrooms, and all the spaces on the first floor. Rhett followed him at a respectful distance, wanting to give Link space but answer his questions if he had any. Link went through the props room and exclaimed at things he remembered from previous music videos; he could remember making the videos and dressing in the costumes. When he came across his recorder, he put it to his lips and managed a few notes with just his left hand. 

He made his way to the GMM set and sat down in his chair with a grin. “This definitely feels familiar. I feel like I’ve spent days of my life sitting here.” 

Rhett, standing at the doorway, asked him, “Do you remember what we talked about? Or that I was there at all?”

Link thought for a moment, then shook his head. “I know I did a lot of talking, but… I don’t remember you being there.”

Rhett looked away with a muttered, “Dangit.” 

Link’s grin fell. “I’m sorry, Rhett. I was really hoping that just being here and seeing all this stuff would knock something loose.” 

Rhett nodded. “Me too.” He raised his hands and dropped them in a gesture of futility. “I’m running out of ideas here.” 

Link rubbed his face with his left hand. “Yeah. Maybe this was a dumb plan.” He stood up slowly, bracing his good arm on the table. His lips were pressed together in pain or frustration.

Rhett felt a flare of annoyance. “Well, it’s the only plan we’ve got. You can’t just give up on the first day.” 

Link sighed. “I know. I just…” He trailed off, scratching again at the week’s growth of hair on his face. “You know what might make me feel better? Getting rid of this beard.” 

“You’re gonna shave?” Link nodded. “With your left hand?” Rhett asked.

“I’m pretty much ambidextrous,” Link replied. “It should be fine.” 

“Yeah, but if you’re used to shaving with your right hand, it won’t be the same at all.”

Link rolled his eyes. “I think I can handle it. I’ve done a lot more shaving in my life than you have.” 

Rhett shrugged. It was obviously something Link suddenly felt strongly about for some reason. “Okay, whatever. I’ll be in the office.”

He turned and walked out, then paused in the hallway to watch Link limp past him. Link picked up his bag of toiletries and shuffled into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. 

Rhett had been poking around on the internet for a few minutes when he heard Link gasp, followed by a sharp, “Oh, shit.” Rhett was already standing up when he heard Link yell his name, and he took the few steps to the bathroom at a run.

Fortunately, the door wasn’t locked, and he opened it to see Link leaning heavily over the sink, braced on his left arm with his head hanging down. The safety razor was in the sink. Link’s voice was weak as he breathed, “Rhett, I need –“ 

His knees began to buckle. Rhett dove forward and caught him around the waist, propping his legs up between himself and the sink and leaning back to support Link’s upper body on his chest. The movement jostled Link’s collarbone and he gasped in pain. 

Link’s head lolled back onto Rhett’s shoulder and Rhett saw bright red blood seeping from a cut on the corner of the man’s jaw. A single drop rolled down the side of his neck. Apparently Link had not gotten very far in his shaving before he managed to cut himself rather badly. Where there wasn’t shaving cream or blood, his face was pale. 

He blinked up at Rhett. “Oh,” he said thickly, “You were right.” 

Rhett felt like he was holding a child, Link was so light and helpless. “Silly,” he said. “I’ve got you.” He grabbed a tissue and held it against the cut.

They stood like that for a few minutes until Link was able to support himself again. Rhett took a step back and Link turned to look at him, holding the tissue to his face. “Okay, obviously this was a bad idea,” he said sheepishly. “But the beard really is driving me nuts.” He blushed, looking shy. “Do you think you could… would you mind… shaving me?” 

Rhett was taken aback. The idea of shaving another man seemed incredibly intimate. “Uh, I don’t know, Link. Wouldn’t Christy be a better choice?”

“Christy doesn’t have any experience shaving a face. And besides, I’m going to be here until tomorrow.” He regarded himself in the mirror. “And now I have one shaved patch on my chin to go with my ridiculous haircut.” He turned back to Rhett. “Please?”

“All right, Link, if you need it that badly. But I don’t want to risk you fainting, we’re gonna do it on the couch.” Link nodded.

Rhett grabbed the razor, shaving cream, and towel, and filled a bowl with warm water. He went over to the couch and sat down, putting the items on the table next to him, then gestured to Link to come over. Link sat down next to him, looking uncertain. “How… how do you want me?”

Rhett draped the towel over his legs. “Lay down with your head in my lap.” 

Link awkwardly maneuvered himself into the position. His wide eyes watched Rhett as he applied the shaving cream to Link’s face and neck, but he closed them when Rhett brought the razor to his skin. 

Rhett could not remember the last time he had been this careful doing anything. He knew, intellectually, that it was impossible to do serious damage to a person with a safety razor. And yet, he was hyper-conscious of the fact that he was holding a blade against his best friend’s face. He moved very slowly, starting with Link’s cheeks and jawline, the easy parts, rinsing the razor in the bowl after every pass. The pointiness of Link’s chin was a challenge, and under his nose was the hardest. It was certainly not a great shave, but at least now Link would hopefully feel more comfortable. 

He did Link’s neck last. When he put the razor to the skin next to Link’s Adam’s apple, Link shivered slightly. Rhett moved the razor along the skin and Link squirmed. “What?” Rhett asked. He saw goosebumps arise on the skin he had just passed.

Link’s eyes opened halfway and he looked up at Rhett. “Mmm?” He blinked a few times and then blushed. “Oh, sorry. It… it feels good.” 

Rhett chuckled. “Okay, fruitcake.” He thought about teasing Link further, but Link had already closed his eyes again and looked quite happy. He deserved to be happy, Rhett thought. He took his time shaving Link’s neck and the underside of his jaw. It amused him to see Link gasp and squirm whenever Rhett drew the razor or his fingers along certain places. 

Eventually all the hair that was going to be removed had been removed, and Rhett wiped the last of the shaving cream off of Link with the towel. “There you are, buddy. Clean-shaven again just like the ladies like.” 

Link reached his left hand up and felt his face. “That feels so much better. Thanks, Rhett.” He didn’t move to sit up, but closed his eyes with a happy sigh. “This is comfortable. Did anyone ever tell you how comfortable your lap is?”

“Uh, no, I can’t say that they have.” 

“Well, people don’t know what they’re missing,” Link mumbled sleepily. Without really thinking, Rhett stroked his hair, careful to avoid the surgical site. Link smiled. 

They sat like that for a half an hour or so, Rhett staring off into space occasionally petting Link’s hair while Link dozed. Eventually Rhett’s stomach started making demands and he decided to wake Link and figure out their dinner plans. He touched Link’s cheek, and when he saw his friend’s eyes open, he mischievously allowed his fingers to brush Link’s neck. Link’s eyes registered confusion even as he writhed in response to the light touch. “Hhh…hey,” he whispered. 

Rhett grinned. “Sorry, it’s just too entertaining how easy it is to make you squirm.” 

Link arched his neck toward Rhett’s hand. “Now, that’s not very nice,” he said. “Just making me squirm for your entertainment.”

“I deserve some compensation for everything I put up with,” Rhett said with a smile. 

Link looked up at him with a grin. “You do.” He gave a humorous wiggle of his hips to increase the entertainment value, and Rhett chuckled. 

“As fun as this is, I’m starving,” Rhett said. “Me too,” Link agreed. Link kept his head in Rhett’s lap while they discussed potential delivery options. For some reason Link remembered the name of every place within delivery radius by name, causing Rhett to joke that he must find takeout more important than friendship. Of course they both knew that wasn’t the case.

They eventually settled on pizza and Rhett called in the order. When it arrived, they ate it while watching a few episodes of Breaking Bad. Link remembered those, too. 

Link still seemed sleepy and Rhett was getting there as well. Rhett pulled out the sofa bed and made it up with the sheets and blankets he had brought. They brushed their teeth and turned out all of the lights except a dim nightlight by the door. The room was warm enough that they both stripped down to their boxers for sleeping in. 

They both lay down on the bed. It was reasonably comfortable as far as sofa beds go, for which Rhett was grateful, even if his feet did hang off the end. As he lay on his back thinking about the events of the day, Link shifted around next to him, trying to find a comfortable position. 

After a few minutes of this, he heard Link’s voice in the darkness. “Rhett?”

“Yes, Link?”

“This is weird, but, uh, can I put my arm on you?”

Rhett considered it. “That is weird, Link. Can I ask why you would want to do that?” 

“I think my shoulder wants my arm to be elevated. I need something to prop it up on, and this bed isn’t really big enough for extra pillows.” 

Well, if it was a legitimate medical reason, he couldn’t very well say no. He turned so he was lying on his side, his back to Link, then said, “All right, if you think it will help.” 

Link faced Rhett’s back and slowly moved his arm — still in its brace — up and onto Rhett’s waist. He whimpered with the pain of movement, but once his arm was in place it seemed to be a more comfortable position for him. 

Rhett figured that was it, and started to drift off to sleep. A few minutes later, he felt Link shift closer to him, snuggling up against his back. He brought his hips and legs close, too, until his whole body was in contact with Rhett’s backside. 

“Mmm, warm,” Link murmured. He was already mostly asleep. Rhett found the extensive physical contact surprisingly comfortable. Link fit against his back in an easy, pleasant way. His breath on the skin between Rhett’s shoulder blades was a soft caress. The fact that there were only two thin layers of cotton separating their nether regions was something Rhett tried not to think about. He told himself this was a completely platonic effort at helping Link heal. Human contact is good for people, right? At least, it felt good to Rhett. He bent his arm and searched for the hand of Link’s that was draped over him, and twined his fingers with it. Link’s fingers grasped his in response.

No point in overanalyzing it, he thought, as he drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Either the sofa bed was more comfortable than he thought, or he was completely exhausted, as Rhett slept better than he had in a long time. He awoke slowly to the rays of sunlight on his face. Given the quality of the light, he guessed it was already around nine o’clock.  
He gradually became more aware of various sensations. Link was still curled up behind him, his arm draped over Rhett’s waist. The side of his face was pressed between Rhett’s shoulders and Rhett felt his chest move lightly with every breath. One of Link’s legs was kicked forward and rested on top of Rhett’s knee, his foot dangling down.

The whole thing felt remarkably pleasant. As Rhett lay there listening to the soft sounds of Link’s sleeping inhalations, he began to notice an additional sensation. Something firm and warm was pressed against his ass. Through two layers of cotton boxers that felt like nothing at all. Oh. 

Rhett froze while he considered his predicament. No doubt it was just a perfectly normal morning situation. Link was clearly asleep; it didn’t mean anything. The only reason it was awkward was because Link’s morning situation happened to be nestled along the crack of Rhett’s ass. Rhett smirked to himself. So that’s what it felt like to be on the other side of this arrangement. 

Link stirred in his sleep and tightened his arm around Rhett, pulling himself closer with a soft “mmm.” His cock pressed against Rhett’s tailbone and Rhett jerked himself away on pure reflex, almost falling off the bed. Link woke up with a cry of pain as his arm fell between them, jerking his broken collarbone. Rhett rolled over to face him and saw that Link was panting with agony, eyes squeezed shut.

“Oh my God, Link, I’m sorry.” Rhett cursed himself. The sight of Link’s distress shot panic through him. “I wasn’t thinking — what can I do, how can I help?”

Link spoke through gritted teeth. “I don’t, I don’t know.” He curled into a fetal position, a tear rolling down his cheek. 

“Here, I’ll get you your pain pills.” Rhett carefully got out of the bed, trying not to jostle the mattress. He found the pills and brought one and a glass of water back to the bed. He sat down on the other side of Link, sitting up against the back of the couch.

“Lean back against me, man, so you don’t have to support yourself.”

Link slowly uncurled himself and gingerly leaned back onto Rhett’s chest, eyes still closed. Rhett put the pill into Link’s left hand, then, when he put the pill in his mouth, handed him the glass of water. Link took a few swallows and handed the glass back to Rhett, who put it on the side table. 

Link was still breathing shallowly and whimpering under his breath. Rhett pulled up the blanket to cover their legs, then put his arm over Link’s good shoulder and laid it across his chest, holding him. Link turned into it, clasping it with his good arm. Rhett felt him shuddering, every muscle tensed against the pain. “Shhh, it’s okay. It’s okay, the meds will kick in soon.” He pitched his voice deep and soft. “Try to take slow, deep breaths. It’s okay, Link.”

With the sound of Rhett’s voice, the tension on Link’s face cleared somewhat. With obvious effort, he breathed deeply. His bare back against Rhett’s chest was warm, almost hot. They sat in silence like that for some time as Link slowly relaxed. His head dropped as the meds began to take effect.

“That sucked,” Link mumbled.

“It really did. I’m sorry, Link.”

“For what?”

“For moving out from under your arm. I should have woken you first.”

“Oh, yeah. The rest of it was really nice though.” Link’s speech was growing less intelligible.

“The rest of what?” Rhett asked.

“Sleeping. With you. You’re nice.”

Rhett chuckled softly, careful not to move much. “Okay man, if you say so.” It had been quite comfortable, though, he had to admit.

Link snuggled into Rhett’s bicep, his face already sandpapery-stubbled. His mouth was pressed against Rhett’s arm as he mumbled something. Rhett leaned his head down. “What was that?” 

“We should sleep together all the time.”

Rhett grinned. If they weren’t nearly naked, this medication-induced weirdness would have made a pretty funny video. “Whatever you say, buddy.”

Link’s mumbles subsided into wordless noises. Rhett didn’t have a free hand to pat him with so he settled for planting a kiss on top of his head. Link’s hair smelled strongly of himself, not unpleasantly so. Rhett inhaled deeply, reveling in the still-new relief that Link was alive. They had the memory thing to deal with, but somehow they seemed to be getting along fine despite that. As if there was something deeper than shared experiences that made them trust each other like this. Something visceral.

Rhett was disturbed from his reverie by the grumbling of his stomach. He glanced at the clock — it was past ten. “Hey Link,” he said softly into Link’s hair. “Mmm?” the man responded.

“I’m gonna make us some breakfast, okay?” 

“Okay.” Link leaned forward slightly to let Rhett up, then settled back into the cushions.

Rhett threw on a bathrobe and loosely belted it, then made a simple breakfast of toast and eggs. He set the small table in the kitchen for the two of them and went back to the couch, carrying Link’s bathrobe. Link was asleep again, his head turned to the side, a small smile on his lips. His beatific expression contrasted with the scrapes and bruises over the rest of his body, the sling on his arm, the awful staples in his skull. The dark curly hair on his chest and stomach stood in sharp contrast to his pale skin.

Rhett tossed the bathrobe onto the bed. “Link,” he said softly, and watched his friend’s eyes flutter open. Link was clearly still floating on the pain meds, as he looked up at Rhett with a wide, open-mouthed grin. “Hey, beautiful,” he slurred slightly.

“Link, if you’ve mistaken me for Christy, we’ve got a bigger problem on our hands.”

In response, Link swung his legs over to the floor and reached out a hand. Rhett took it and supported him as he got to his feet. He kept ahold of Rhett’s hand and stood very close to him; Rhett could feel Link’s thighs against his robe. Link looked up at him and swayed slightly, and Rhett put his free hand around his waist to steady him. 

“I know who you are,” Link said, “and you’re beautiful. All that time we were friends, I never told you that?”

Rhett felt himself blushing and turned his head away. He couldn’t tell if Link was joking or delirious or what. “C’mon, man. Don’t be weird.” 

Link dropped Rhett’s hand and took a step back. Rhett let his other hand fall from Link’s waist. “Sorry,” Link said. “Can’t a man compliment another man without it being weird?”

“Not when the man is wearing nothing but skimpy boxers.” 

Link seemed to notice his state of undress for the first time. “Oh, you may have a point there.” He picked up the bathrobe with his good hand, paused for a second, and held it out to Rhett. “Can you assist me?” 

Rhett helped him get his good arm into the robe and draped the other side around his shoulder and the sling. He tied the belt loosely. “All right?”

Link nodded. They sat down to breakfast. 

As they ate, Rhett asked Link how he was feeling. It sounded as though Link’s recuperation was going as expected. Collarbone pain and a pounding headache persisted, but the pills brought both things down to a tolerable level. 

“And what about your memory?” Rhett asked. “Any different today?” 

Link looked thoughtful. “It’s hard to say at this point. I mean, I feel like I know you, now. But it’s because I’ve gotten to know you over the last few days. I don’t remember the experiences we had together… before.” He frowned. “There must be so much that I’d want to remember.” He looked at Rhett with a curious expression. 

Rhett smiled. “At least it feels like we’re friends again, even if it’s different than before.” Link nodded.

When they finished eating, Rhett cleaned up the dishes while Link checked in with Christy. He told her everything was fine and that he intended to spend another night at the studio. When he got off the phone, he stood up carefully and walked over to where Rhett was drying the frying pan.

“Ah, I have a weird favor to ask you.” He was blushing.

Rhett put down the pan. “Oh?”

“I really want to shower, but I’m not supposed to be alone in case I fall.” 

It took Rhett a second to figure out the implications. “You want me to shower with you?” His voice was incredulous. 

“Oh! Oh, no, just be in the bathroom in case something happens.” Link was blushing more now, the scarlet traveling down his neck. “Shower with me… that would be absurd.” 

“Uh, okay, sure. I can do that.” Rhett followed him into the bathroom and watched him turn on the water. He sat on the toilet lid and averted his eyes as Link disrobed, carefully took off his arm sling, and stepped into the shower.

They made casual conversation over the hiss of the water, talking about the kids and future family vacation ideas. A few minutes passed and Rhett was in the middle of a sentence when he heard Link swear. “What is it?” Rhett asked.

“Soap in my eye, dangit.” A few more seconds, then more swearing.

“Can I do anything for you, man?” 

Link stuck his head out from behind the curtain. His eyes were red and irritated. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to wash your hair with one hand?” 

Rhett shook his head. “Can’t say that I do.” 

“Can you help me?” 

Rhett stood and came over to the edge of the tub. “You want me to wash your hair?”

Link nodded. “Yes, please.” 

“Uh, okay.” Rhett rolled up the sleeves of his bathrobe and reached to where Link stood with his back to him. He awkwardly ran his fingers through Link’s soapy wet hair, trying to avoid the surgery site. 

Link laughed. “Geez, haven’t you ever washed anyone’s hair before?” 

“Not a grown man’s, Link!” Rhett’s exasperation turned to a yelp of discomfort as the soapy water ran down his arms, soaking his sleeves. He looked down and saw it was also splashing all over the floor. “Okay, this clearly isn’t working.”

“You could get in here with me,” Link offered, still with his back toward Rhett.

Rhett was going to say something teasing, but Link’s frustration at not being able to take care of himself was evident. Instead he said, “Okay man, give me a minute.” 

He hung up his robe and dropped his boxers, then stepped into the shower. Link still stood with his back to him, between him and the showerhead. Only a little of the water made it past him onto Rhett’s stomach and legs, and the slight breeze from the bathroom fan made him shiver. He moved forward until he was close to Link but not touching him, trying to get warmer. 

Link looked over his shoulder and Rhett saw his eyes flick downward for a split second before centering on Rhett’s face. “Thanks. I’m… I’m sorry I keep asking you for weird things.” 

Rhett fought back his self-consciousness and tried to act casual. That’s right, here he was casually hanging out naked in the shower with his best friend. “I know you’d do the same for me,” he said, and Link replied, “In a heartbeat.” 

Link turned back to face the water and Rhett massaged his hair, working it into a lather. Rhett found his eyes following the suds as they flowed down Link’s shoulders and spine, gathering at his tailbone before flowing over the graceful curve of his ass. He realized Link was making soft happy sounds from Rhett’s hands in his hair. The air was thick with steam.

Rhett dropped his hands and took a step back with a shake of his head. What was going on in his brain? “Okay, time to rinse,” he said. He heard a roughness to his voice.

Link turned around. Rhett averted his gaze until Link had put his head under the water and closed his eyes, then he allowed himself to look at his friend openly. No doubt he’d seen Link naked hundreds of times over the years as they’d shared hotel rooms and changed in dressing rooms. But those times had always been a matter of pointedly not looking, not taking in the details. This time, he wanted to look. 

Link stood with his wounded arm held against his body, his other arm raised to his hair. With his head tilted back, his Adam’s apple stood out sharply. His right shoulder and collarbone were a rainbow of bruises, with others along his right hip and thigh. His slim torso was not visibly muscular and his pelvic bones protruded.  The hair on his thighs and shins was quite dark under the flowing water. 

As he continued his slow appraisal, Rhett could not help but notice that Link appeared to be partially aroused. Rhett swallowed. He felt a confusing stirring in his own groin in response. He eventually realized he was staring and flicked his eyes back up to Link’s face. His stomach dropped as he saw Link had opened his eyes at some point and was watching him. Rhett felt his face flush.

Link’s lips curved into a slow grin. “I’m having trouble getting all the soap out.” He stared into Rhett’s eyes. “Can you help?”

Rhett blinked a few times, rapidly. Calm down, he told himself. Keep it cool. “Uh, sure.” 

He took a step toward Link. Their bodies were almost touching. Link closed his eyes and leaned his head back under the water. Rhett reached up and ran his fingers through Link’s hair, gently, pushing out the soap from front to back. Link purred happy noises. 

Link had dropped his good arm to his side, and now he reached out with it and cupped Rhett’s hip. For balance, Rhett assumed. Link’s thumb moved slowly along Rhett’s hipbone, stroking downward. For balance, Rhett’s racing brain insisted. He focused on getting the soap out of Link’s hair. 

When he looked down, Link was looking up at him. His long eyelashes glimmered with water droplets and he had drawn the corner of his lower lip between his teeth. He blinked once, slowly. “That feels really good,” he murmured. 

Rhett looked down at Link’s lips. They were so close. They gleamed in the moist air. But Rhett also saw the dark red scab from where Link’s lower lip had split, and it brought him back to his senses. Link was vulnerable. He was hurt, he was heavily medicated, he literally had brain damage. What the hell was Rhett doing thinking these sorts of things? 

He stepped back, breaking away from Link’s grip on his side. “If that’s all you need, then… I’m gonna get out of the shower if you don’t mind. It’s cold outside of the water.” 

He turned away before he could see Link’s reaction, but he heard the confusion in his friend’s voice.  “Oh… okay, Rhett. I… I think I’ll be able to handle the rest on my own.” 

Rhett stepped out of the shower and drew the curtain behind him. “I’ll be right out here if you need me, Link.” 

Link’s voice was soft. “Thanks, Rhett.” 

Rhett dried himself off, put on his robe, and sat back down on the toilet lid, holding his head in his hands. Things were definitely getting complicated.


	7. Chapter 7

It took Link a while to finish showering, given how hard it was with only the one working arm, but he didn’t ask for help again. Rhett sat on the toilet lid feeling the steam condense on his face and arms. His mind cycled through images unbidden — Soap suds rolling down Link’s bare back. Link’s wide eyes looking up at him through the falling water. Link’s lip drawn between his teeth. 

Rhett was rubbing his eyes with his palms when he heard the water turn off and the shower curtain skim to the side. He looked up to see Link pulling the towel off the rack. He dried himself gingerly, patting at the healing scabs and passing the towel slowly under his right arm. He inhaled through clenched teeth as he carefully dried his shoulder and arm.   

He stepped into his boxers and pulled them up with one hand, then met Rhett’s eyes for the first time since turning off the water. He looked uncertain. “Could you… do you mind helping me with my robe?” 

Rhett felt guilty. He didn’t want Link to ever think he couldn’t ask him for help. “Of course,” he said, standing up. He held the robe and helped Link put his good arm into it, then draped the other side around the man’s injured shoulder and tied the belt loosely as before. The action brought him close to Link as he reached his arms around behind him. 

Link looked up at his face, searchingly. His curling hair was still soaking wet and dripped down his neck and chest. He smelled like soap and shampoo with the faintest hint of his own skin underneath. Rhett tried to school his expression into a neutral smile, but it felt fake to him and he assumed Link could see it. Still, Rhett soldiered on. “Feeling better?” he asked. 

Link’s smile also looked forced. “Cleaner, anyway.” He winced. “I think the meds are wearing off, though. It’s starting to get pretty uncomfortable again.” 

“I don’t think you’re supposed to take more yet,” Rhett replied, “but let me check the time.” He opened the door and walked out, Link following behind him in a billow of steam.

It turned out Link still had about an hour before he could take another pill. He was starting to look pretty miserable. Rhett tried to think of a good distraction for him. “Um, okay. How about we get dressed and sit down and see if you remember any of our songs?” 

Link smiled at him. “That sounds like a good idea.” 

Rhett quickly got into his clothes, jeans and a brick red polo shirt. Link more slowly donned pajama pants and a short-sleeved plaid shirt. His breath came fast and shallow from the growing discomfort as he struggled with the buttons, and Rhett stepped over with an offering gesture. Link nodded gratefully. Rhett buttoned the shirt for him as his brain helpfully pointed out the aesthetic value of Link’s bare torso. He also helped Link get his arm back into the sling. By the time that was accomplished, Link was pale and his lower lip trembled. 

The two of them sat down on the sofa bed with their legs stretched out. Rhett drew his guitar into his lap and strummed it, then started tuning it. When he was finished, he started playing a simple chord progression. He looked over to see that Link had leaned his head back against the cushions, a slight smile on his face. The pain-induced tension in his demeanor seemed lessened. “I love hearing you play,” he murmured. “It feels safe.” 

Rhett kept strumming. “You remember it?” 

Link’s brow furrowed. “Not… consciously? But I remember the feeling, if that makes sense.” 

Rhett nodded. “That’s good enough for me.” 

After a few minutes of noodling around, Rhett started playing the water dispensing tab song. A goofy song, to be sure, but the faux-soulful first line — I’m always here for you — seemed appropriate. 

When he reached the chorus, Link joined him in perfect harmony. His voice was uncertain and rough from lack of use, but the notes were right. Surprised, Rhett’s fingers faltered for a moment before he played on. By the time they got to the last verse, Link’s voice was strong. It danced around Rhett’s and bolstered it up. As the song concluded and Rhett’s strumming came to a halt, he realized there were tears on his cheeks. 

Link was grinning. “I knew the whole thing!” His face fell when he saw Rhett’s expression. “What’s wrong?”

Rhett shook his head, embarrassed. “I’m just happy.” He wiped his face with the back of his hand. “I was worried we would never sing together again.” He blinked back more tears as speaking the words made him realize just how scared he had been. 

Link reached for his hand and clasped it, looking at him sincerely. “I would learn them all again if I had to.”

Rhett dipped his head, self-conscious of how emotional he was being. “All right, well, let’s see if you know the rest.” 

He played through all of their songs he could think of that were possible to play on guitar. For each one, Link joined him on the chorus and even sang lead on his own verses. By the end of it they were both grinning nonstop. Link seemed to have forgotten the pain he was in. 

Rhett wanted nothing more than to keep playing forever, feeling Link’s voice wrapped around his and their notes merging until he couldn’t tell who was singing what part anymore. Instead, they were interrupted by Christy calling Link’s phone. He answered and had a brief conversation, then hung up.

“She’s going to come get me so I can go to the surgeon and get these staples out, then we’re gonna have dinner with the kids,” Link explained. 

Rhett nodded. “Okay.” He paused. “Are you gonna come back here after?”

“I’d like to, if… if you want me to.” 

Rhett smiled. “Of course I do, Link. I think we’re making a lot of progress here.” Link smiled back.

After Christy departed with Link, Rhett went back to his own home and spent the afternoon with his family. He took care of a few minor household projects and watched some cartoons with the kids. They all had a nice dinner together. Rhett filled Jessie in on Link’s progress, though he decided to omit any description of Link’s showering abilities. 

Link texted him when he and Christy were headed back to the studio, and Rhett drove back there himself. The lights were already on when he got there, and he entered to see Link reclining on the sofa bed, still wearing the pajama pants and plaid shirt, though the shirt was unbuttoned to the bottom of his sternum. He was barefoot. 

Link reported that the staple removal had been gross but nearly painless, and tilted his head so Rhett could see. The incision site looked slightly redder, but much less Frankensteinian now that the staples were gone. He looked up at Rhett, standing by the bed, and patted the mattress next to him. “Want to watch a movie or something?”

“Sure, just let me get changed out of these jeans.” Rhett unpacked some loose cotton pants and changed into them, then sat down next to Link. He put his laptop in front of them and leaned over to navigate to Netflix. “What are you in the mood for?” 

He felt Link’s hand on his lower back, over his shirt. Link petted him casually, stroking down his spine with the flats of his fingers. It felt nice. Link said softly, almost to himself, “What am I in the mood for…”

Rhett looked over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow. Link saw his expression and blushed, but didn’t remove his hand. “Um, how about a documentary? We’re gonna need new GMM material eventually.” 

“You think you’re going to be up for doing that again?”

“Yeah, I think so, once my hair grows back. We might have to work out a signal if I start talking about something we’ve already discussed, though.” 

Rhett chuckled. “Good idea. I can just kick you.” Link’s hand was still on his back, moving in slow, warm circles. Rhett scrolled through the available documentaries looking for something Link might find interesting. “How about this one on Wikileaks? It’s new, and it might give us a springboard for talking about embarrassing secrets being revealed.”

Link grinned. “Sounds good. I’m sure we both have a lot of those.” 

Rhett clicked play and turned off the light by the bed, then lay back against the cushions. Link leaned against his arm, resting his cheek on Rhett’s shoulder. Rhett closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of Link’s hair as the movie began to roll. It was comfortable. 

After some time, Link worked his good arm around Rhett’s and put his hand palm-up on Rhett’s thigh. Rhett didn’t let himself think about it before he took Link’s offered hand in his own. Link’s smaller fingers twined around his, fitting comfortably. Fortunately, the movie was riveting enough that Rhett could focus on it and not on the fact that he was holding his best friend’s hand in a bed. This became more challenging when Link occasionally stroked Rhett’s thumb with his own.  

They stayed in that position after the movie ended while they discussed it. The conversation was long and rambling, and eventually it grew quite late. Link looked like he was dozing off between sentences. Rhett leaned over, closed the laptop, and moved it to the side table. “Time for bed, I think,” he said.

Link nodded. He stood up and took off his pants and shirt. Rhett did the same, and they both got under the covers in their boxers again. Rhett lay on his back and Link faced him, lying on his good arm. He nodded to the sling and looked at Rhett. “Do you mind again?” 

“No, it’s fine,” Rhett replied. “I promise not to have a repeat of this morning’s unfortunateness.” Link carefully laid his wounded arm across Rhett’s chest. Link shifted closer so that his head was on Rhett’s shoulder, his warm chest against the side of Rhett’s arm, his legs in contact down the length of Rhett’s leg. This happened to put Rhett’s hand — on the mattress between them — rather alarmingly close to Link’s crotch. Rhett tried not to think about it. “Good night, Link,” he said. 

“Good night, Rhett.” 

Neither of them moved for a few minutes. Rhett felt the slow rise and fall of Link’s ribcage and his warm breath across his bare chest. 

He felt Link stir slightly and turn his head into Rhett’s shoulder. Link nuzzled the skin there, then opened his mouth slightly and nibbled at it.

Goosebumps sprang up along Rhett’s neck as he opened his mouth to speak. “Uhh…”

Link’s breath against his skin: “Shhh.” Link pushed himself up slightly on his good arm, leaning further over Rhett’s chest. His lips closed over the edge of Rhett’s collarbone, tongue exploring the indentation there. His stubble brushed lightly over the area and Rhett felt a shiver all the way down the side of his body to his toes. It was very, very hard to think.

He tried a few times before he was able to get words out. “Link… what are you… doing?”

Link’s mouth continued along his collarbone and paused at the curve of his neck. Link extended his leg over Rhett’s thighs and was now partially on top of him, still supported by his good arm. As he pressed closer, Rhett felt Link’s erection brush his hand. He felt a rush of arousal followed closely by fear. What was going to happen? 

Link nuzzled his way up Rhett’s neck until he got to his ear. “What I am doing,” he whispered, breathing shallowly, “is trying to seduce you.” 

Rhett closed his eyes as Link’s teeth caressed the side of his neck. His own breath came quickly as he was tossed around by waves of conflicting emotions. He turned his head toward Link, trying to catch his breath through parted lips. Link closed the distance between them and met Rhett’s lips with his own. 

Any remaining conscious thought fled from Rhett’s brain under the sensation of the kiss. He groaned as he felt the tip of Link’s tongue enter his mouth, the sweet taste of him instantly intoxicating. Rhett opened his mouth further, caressing Link’s tongue with his own, as he brought his free hand up to the back of Link’s neck.

Link moved his leg up so that it was on top of Rhett’s groin. He pressed his knee slowly over Rhett’s burgeoning erection. Link’s own cock thrust against Rhett’s pinned hand, and it was an easy movement to turn his hand around so that it was cupping it, eliciting a gasp of surprised pleasure. 

Rhett’s brain oscillated rapidly between complete disbelief and pure animal lust. Link moved his hips slowly, rhythmically, pressing himself into Rhett’s hand. His leg moved on top of Rhett at the same time. Rhett pulled Link to him hungrily, hearing himself growl low in his throat. Link was making higher pitched soft whining noises, wordless and pleading. 

Link broke off the kiss and buried his face in Rhett’s neck, panting and writhing. He mumbled between breaths, “Damn this… sling, I want… to touch you…” 

Rhett latched onto Link’s voice like a drowning man and used it to pull himself slowly, agonizingly out of the ocean of desire. He put his hand on Link’s knee to still its rocking motion, then dropped his head back on the pillow and took a deep breath, reaching for calm. Link nipped his neck, threatening to send him under the waves again.

“Link,” Rhett said softly. When the other man didn’t respond, he said louder: “Link.” 

Link pulled away slightly and looked up at him in the semi-darkness. His lips were full and red from the kissing, his eyes half-closed. “Rhett,” he breathed. 

With some effort, Rhett extracted his arm from between them and put it under Link’s neck so that his arm was around the other man. He stroked Link’s back with his fingertips and Link shuddered. 

Rhett ordered his body to calm down. Why did he always have to be the responsible one, he whined to himself. 

“Link, man,” he said softly. “We should talk about this first. This is a big deal.” 

Link laid his head on Rhett’s chest, visibly trying to calm himself. “I don’t want to talk,” he mumbled, petulant. 

Rhett stroked his hair. “I’m sorry. But this could really complicate things even more than they already are.” Link was silent. Rhett continued, “I’m not comfortable taking advantage of you while you’re in recovery.” 

Link gave a short giggle. “Here I thought I was taking advantage of you.”

“You know what I mean. If we… do this, it’s a really big freaking deal.”

After a long moment, Link sat up slightly so he could look in Rhett’s eyes. In the dim light, his eyes glimmered with confusion. “You mean, we never… we never fooled around before?” 

Rhett laughed aloud. “What? C’mon, Link, that’s absurd.” 

Link looked as if he couldn’t tell if Rhett was messing with him. “But… the way you look at me… not to mention how we act toward each other in the videos…”

Rhett shook his head. “It’s never happened, man.” 

Link looked away, his voice lower. “I feel so comfortable with you, and, well… we’re obviously attracted to each other.” His words tumbled out in a rush. “I just assumed, with the sharing hotel rooms and stuff, it must have happened eventually. I thought you were just being a gentleman waiting for me to make the first move after the accident. I thought we had already…” he trailed off, and there was a catch to his voice. “…and I was so sad I couldn’t remember it.” 

“Oh, Link.” Rhett stroked his hair, holding him close. “This is a new thing for me. I mean, yeah, maybe there’s always been some tension there, especially in the last few years. But I never would have dreamed you were interested in something like that, so I wouldn’t have admitted it to myself.”

Link replied, “I guess that makes sense. I was probably too scared to do anything. But after everything that’s happened, I feel like I’ve been given a second chance. I don’t want to miss out. I want to have you… as much as you’ll let me have.”

Rhett kissed Link’s forehead while he thought. Link’s slim body still pressed against him, warm and inviting, and Rhett’s body ached with desire to go back and finish what they had started. His brain asserted itself, however, and brought him back to reality. 

“This is too important to rush into, Link,” he said. “I want it, but… I want to do it right. I want to do everything I can to make sure this doesn’t explode. We’re best friends. It would kill me if I did anything that changed that.” 

Link’s stubble scraped Rhett’s chest as he nodded. “Okay, Rhett. I understand that. I don’t want to mess that up either.” His teeth brushed lightly against Rhett’s skin, nibbling. “But when can we…?”

Rhett gathered up all of his self-control. “I think it would be best if we waited until your collarbone is healed. That should give us enough time to make sure we aren’t acting on the spur of the moment.” He ran his fingertips up Link’s spine. “And I won’t have to worry about hurting you when I have my way with you.”

Link shivered. “Mmm… what if I want to have my way with you?” His tone was playful.

“I suppose that would only be fair.” Rhett leaned down and kissed Link slowly, deeply. He held the other man close to him and luxuriated in the sensation of their bare skin contact. “Until then, I suspect we’ll be driving each other crazy.” 

Link smiled, lips still almost touching Rhett’s mouth.  “That sounds like fun,” he whispered.


	8. Chapter 8

Rhett awoke the next morning still on his back with Link sprawled across him. He looked down to see wide blue eyes staring back from Link’s guileless face, his chin resting on Rhett’s chest. They regarded each other in silence for a few moments as memories flooded in. Link was the first one to speak. “Did that really happen?”

Rhett smiled. “I hope so, or I need to work on my lucid dreaming.” Link grinned back. He tilted his chin forward, lips pursed, and Rhett leaned down and kissed him.

Link levered himself up on his arm and looked at him with an open, trusting expression. “I feel so lucky.”

Rhett’s eyes passed over the sling, the healing scrapes on Link’s face, and the fuzz of new hair growth on the side of his head. “I just wish it hadn’t taken this accident to make us realize. Maybe if we were already… together… you wouldn’t have been on that mountain alone.” 

The side of Link’s mouth drew up contemplatively. “Maybe… or we could have both been there and gone over the edge and cracked our skulls.” 

“Well, I would never do something so foolishly risky,” Rhett claimed, though he didn’t believe it, and joined in when Link laughed at him. 

Link settled back down with his head on Rhett’s shoulder, snuggling into him. Rhett stroked his hair. “Now that we know how we feel,” Link said, “I want to make up for lost time.” 

“Mmhmm,” Rhett affirmed. But there was an elephant looming in the room. Maybe Link didn’t want to acknowledge it, but Rhett knew they would have to eventually… and probably sooner rather than later. As much as he didn’t want reality to intrude on the bliss they had just discovered in each other, Rhett wasn’t one to put off the inevitable. “Link,” he said, “What about Christy and Jessie?” 

He felt Link’s body tense. His voice had an affected nonchalance. “What about them?”

Rhett thought for a moment, trying to feel out his own ethics on the matter. “I still love Jessie. I love Locke and Shep. I don’t want to do anything that would hurt them.” Even the thought of it made his heart clench painfully. “I assume you feel the same way about Christy and the kids.” He felt Link nod, and continued, “I want you, Link, but I don’t want to lose them. We need to figure out a way we can have it all.” 

Link’s voice was soft. “We can, if we leave our relationship here and keep things the same as always at home.”

That sounded like the easiest option, but Rhett found it immediately repulsive. “I’ve never cheated, Link. I assume you can say the same.” Link nodded again. Rhett continued, “I don’t want to start now.”

Link sighed. It was a dubious sigh. Rhett reached for his chin and gently tilted his head up so their eyes could meet. Link looked worried. “Are you going to take back everything you said last night?” he asked. “Everything that we… did?” 

The idea was abhorrent and Rhett rushed to reassure him. “No, Link. No, we can’t go back to the way things were. What we have here is a gift and I’d be stupid to throw it away.” He saw Link was blinking back tears and leaned down to kiss him again. “Don’t worry about that, please don’t.” 

Link looked into his eyes from inches away, searchingly. “Okay,” he finally said with a small smile.

Rhett shrugged his shoulders helplessly. “I guess I don’t have any good ideas right now. I’m just saying that I want to be honest if we can. It’s the right thing to do.” 

Link laid his head back on Rhett’s chest and curled his fingertips through his chest hair, playing with it. “The real world is complicated,” he complained, though his voice sounded a bit lighter. 

“It is.” Rhett nuzzled his hair. “But it’s worth it. You’re worth it.” 

Link made a happy purr and cuddled into Rhett’s neck, pushing his face up into his beard. “I just want to stay here all day,” Link murmured, breath hot on Rhett’s neck. 

Rhett felt his desire stirring and tightened his arm around Link with a soft growl. “If you keep that up, we will… but you’ve got physical therapy in —“ he glanced at the clock — “forty-five minutes. Which means Christy will be here in twenty.” 

Link dragged himself upright with a pout. “Oh, okay. I guess I should probably shower by myself this time.”

Rhett swung his legs off the other side of the couch and got to his feet. “I’ll make breakfast while you’re in there.” 

The shower was still running when Christy opened the front door. Rhett called out a hello and she met him in the kitchenette. Rhett mustered up as much nonchalance as he could manage while his brain was yelling at him about everything he had recently done with this woman’s husband. “Hey Christy, how’s it going?” 

She didn’t seem to notice anything amiss. “Not too bad, Rhett. You guys have a good night?”

He turned back to the dishes he was washing because he didn’t trust his facial expression. “Uh, yeah. It was pretty, uh, uneventful.” It felt dishonest, and he didn’t like it, but he wasn’t about to confess anything before he and Link had figured out their plan. 

They chatted for a few minutes about the Wikileaks documentary and Link’s rehabilitation schedule. Link emerged from the bathroom in his boxers, towel draped over his shoulders. He greeted Christy with a quick kiss before struggling into his clothes. Rhett handed him a waffle on their way out the door. Their fingers brushed for the briefest of instants, then Link was gone. 

Once he was alone in the studio, Rhett contemplated the rumpled sheets on the sofa bed as he scratched his beard thoughtfully. It would be so easy, even now, to think that it had all been a dream. He shook his head with a grin. Nah, it was real. It was real, and it was amazing. 

He tidied up the place, cleaning the kitchen and straightening up the sheets, moving with an uncharacteristic spring to his step. He felt a bit giddy, even laughing aloud every now and then. Eventually he locked up and drove home to spend the afternoon with Jessie and the boys as they had planned. 

He felt anxious on the way there, wondering if things would be different at home now that he and Link were… whatever they were. When he entered his house and found Jessie and the kids playing in the den, the joy he felt at seeing them drove his fear away. Of course he still loved them as strongly as before. He strode into the room and scooped up Shep into a hug, then reached out to ruffle Locke’s hair. Jessie stood up on her toes for a kiss. Everything felt right. 

Rhett spent the day with them, playing games and catching up on various family conversations. At one point, Jessie told him he looked happier than he’d seemed in a long time, especially since Link’s accident. He attributed it to Link’s recovery, which was certainly true, if not the entire story. After an excellent dinner and more time spent together hanging out, Rhett said his goodbyes and headed back to the studio. 

This time he beat Link there, and was sitting on the couch with his laptop when the other man walked in. Link looked exhausted. Rhett put his laptop to the side and stood up as Link walked over to him and leaned his head against Rhett’s chest. Rhett put one arm around Link’s uninjured side and stroked his hair with his other hand. “Everything okay?” Rhett asked softly.

“Yeah, it was just really rough at physical therapy. She pushed me pretty hard.” Link looked up. “And I missed you.” 

Rhett leaned down and kissed him with a smile on his lips. “So it’s still real, then.” 

He felt Link smile. “It’s still real.” He paused, then, “I didn’t say anything to Christy. I wasn’t sure what to say.” 

“I didn’t say anything to Jessie either. It didn’t seem like the right time.” 

“Well, I’m sure we’ll figure something out.” 

Rhett nodded. “I’m sure.” 

They went to bed shortly after, Link’s tiredness putting him to sleep rather quickly. They slept in much the same arrangement as the previous night, with Rhett on his back and Link’s bad arm across him. It was beginning to feel very natural to sleep in close contact with Link, to feel him breathe and smell the soft scent of him. 

Again, Rhett slept better than he had in months, and again they awoke to kisses and caresses and rambling conversations. They didn’t talk about their relationship this time, or what was going to happen, but instead talked about everyday things. It felt like they were building a foundation for the two of them to stand on, a foundation that was getting firmer by the day. 

***

For the next few weeks, they enjoyed a regular schedule of commuting back to their homes during the days and sleeping at the studio at night. Depending on Link’s therapy schedule, they sometimes also spent the afternoons together talking about future video ideas and potential business endeavors. As the days passed, Link’s arm got stronger and his range of motion increased, slowly but surely. His hair grew. The lingering hesitancy in the muscles on the right side of his face finally went away. 

Throughout this time, they took every opportunity they had to touch and kiss each other. Rhett felt like he was sixteen again, high on endorphins just from being close to Link. Fortunately, he was a 16-year-old with a 35-year-old’s self-control, and managed to adhere to his plan of not taking things further while Link was still wounded. 

After a few weeks, Link arrived at the studio in the afternoon without his sling. He was clearly delighted to be rid of it. “Now I can finally hug you properly,” he told Rhett, embracing him around the waist. 

Rhett rested his chin on the top of Link’s head with a smile. “That is nice,” he said, then “oof” as Link squeezed him slightly. They kissed, and Link was able to reach both hands into Rhett’s hair for the first time. He took great delight in messing it up, despite the fact that it sprang back into almost the same place as soon as he let go.

Link leaned his body into Rhett’s, looking up at him with a coy smile. “What do you think? Am I finally recovered enough?” 

Rhett felt a thrill of desire and also a hint of fear. The past few weeks of teasing kisses and inquisitive touches had been tantamount to constant foreplay. He wanted to do more, but the idea was intimidating at the same time. When it came to men, he had no idea what he was doing. He didn’t want to hurt Link, or be hurt himself. “I think so,” he said, “but we should still take it slowly. No need to rush.”

Link pulled Rhett’s head down to him and nipped at his lower lip. “I don’t have any plans for the rest of the day,” he said, his voice rough. 

Rhett ran his hands down Link’s back and cupped his ass. “Then what are we waiting for?” he growled. He drew his fingertips around Link’s waist and reached for the button on his jeans. Link squirmed with anticipation as Rhett undid them and slid them off the man’s slim hips. They puddled on the floor and Link stepped out of them as he reached for Rhett’s to do the same. As Link slid the zipper down, Rhett unbuttoned Link’s shirt and pushed it off his shoulders, then reached back and pulled his own polo over his head. 

They were soon standing in their boxers, kissing. Rhett had his arms around Link’s back, palms spread over the man’s sharp shoulder blades. The bare skin of their chests touching was electric. Rhett hooked his thumbs into the waistband of Link’s underwear and kept them there, teasingly, listening to Link’s small impatient noises for a long moment before slowly sliding the boxers to the ground. Link wasted no time pulling off Rhett’s, and then they were naked.

Link pushed his body against Rhett’s until Rhett took a step back, encountering the edge of the bed behind his calves. He wrapped his arms around Link’s waist and brought the man down with him as he slowly sank into a sitting position. He lay back and Link straddled his hips, both men gasping at the sensation of their bodies touching, their hard cocks pinned together beneath Link’s weight. 

Link leaned down, his chest against Rhett’s, supporting himself on his hands to either side of Rhett’s head. Rhett ran his hands from Link’s shoulders down his slim back, feeling the lines of his ribs under taut muscle as Link arched his back in response. He continued the caress over Link’s ass and down the backs of his thighs, touching as much of him as he could reach. 

Link’s hair fell to either side of his face like a curtain, and when he kissed Rhett deeply, there was nothing else in the world besides the feeling of his mouth and the tiny jolts of ecstasy that shuddered along Rhett’s body every time the other man moved his hips. Link eyes were closed and he seemed entirely lost in the grip of the sensations. 

Neither of them heard the door open or the footsteps down the hallway. It took the crash of glass shattering on the floor to shock them into awareness. Link jerked himself upright, gasping as the movement wrenched his shoulder. He whipped his head around as Rhett rose up on his elbows, heart in his throat. 

Christy stood in the doorway, her feet surrounded by shards of glass and a spreading pool of red wine. She took a trembling step backward, hitting the doorjamb with her shoulder. Her head shook slowly in disbelief. “I… I thought I would… surprise you…”

Link half-fell out of the bed and scrambled to his feet as Rhett yanked up the blanket to cover his nakedness. “Christy —“ Link choked out, only making it one step toward her before she turned and fled down the hallway. He turned wide eyes to Rhett, his face pale. “Oh my God. Oh my God, Rhett.” They heard the front door slam.

Rhett could barely think. His lungs felt like they had seized up. He forced words out. “Okay, okay. Link. Get dressed, go to her. Try to talk to her.”

Link grabbed for his clothes, fumbling them on as fast as he could. He was nearly hyperventilating with panic, praying under his breath, “Oh God, Christy, please no…” He ran out of the room without a backwards glance and the front door slammed again.

Rhett located his boxers amongst the fallen sheets and put them on, then stood up and went over to the window above the sink in the kitchenette. He could see Christy’s car in the parking lot; she was sitting in the driver’s seat and Link was standing by the open passenger door, bent over and talking to her. Even at this distance, Rhett could see his friend’s posture was frightened and pleading. After a few minutes, Link got into the car and closed the door. 

Rhett was desperate to know what they were saying, but he had no way of finding out short of walking out there, which didn’t seem like a good idea. Link needed to handle this on his own. Rhett was convinced that joining the conversation would only make things worse for everyone. He chewed on his lip as he stared out the window, possible nightmare scenarios running through his head. What if Christy forbade them from spending time together? What if she left Link? What would happen to the kids? 

His imagination spiraled into a dizzying ball of anxiety, churning his stomach into violent nausea. What if she were calling Jessie right now? Would Link stop her? Did he want Link to stop her? What if that was the last time he would ever kiss Link? 

His stomach gave a terrible, wrenching spasm and he bent over and vomited into the sink. He clutched the edge of the counter, legs weak and shaking. He clung there for a few minutes trying to take deep breaths, pushing away the darkness creeping at the edge of his vision. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. When he was finally able to raise his head and look out the window again, the car was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

Rhett blinked in disbelief at the spot where the car had been. How could they have just… left? Without saying anything to him? He stumbled to the bathroom and rinsed the taste of bile from his mouth, then brushed his teeth. He looked in the mirror and saw shock and despair reflected back in his flat expression. As he walked back to the main room, his eyes avoided focusing on much of anything… especially not the rumpled bedsheets nor the jacket Link had left behind.

He grabbed a roll of paper towels and knelt to sop up the wine that had soaked into the carpet. He was carelessly picking up the broken glass when he felt a sharp jab of pain in his index finger. He jerked his hand up and held his wrist with his other hand, watching tiny beads of blood arise from the thin line on the side of his finger. The sight and the pain shook him somewhat out of his stupor. He sat back on his heels and held a paper towel to the cut as his eyes welled with tears.   

Get it together, Rhett, he told himself. You can’t control what’s going on between Link and Christy right now. You need to take care of your own shit. 

He finished cleaning up the aftermath of the broken bottle. The rug would never be the same, but at least it was safe to walk around barefoot again. He also decided it would be best to turn the sofa bed back into a sofa for the time being. He stripped off the sheets, folded it back onto itself, and replaced the cushions. He cleaned the kitchen. 

It was when he had taken out the scrub brush and gloves to start cleaning the bathroom that he had to admit he was just putting off the inevitable. He had lingered at the studio hoping that Link would come back, or at least call him and let him know what was going on. But the more time passed, the more Rhett risked that his own family would be caught in the blast radius of whatever explosion was currently occurring. If that were going to happen, he’d rather be with them when it did. 

He considered sending Link a text, but couldn’t come up with anything that didn’t sound incredibly inane. “How’s it going?” or “Everything okay?” just seemed stupid when he could guess the answer. Besides, Link no doubt knew that Rhett was desperate to know what was happening, and would tell him if he could. 

He grabbed his bag and locked up the studio, then drove home. He called to Jessie as he opened the door, not wanting her to be startled when he walked in at an unexpected time. She shouted hello from the den; he dropped his bag to the floor and went there to see that she was in the middle of a homeschooling session with Shep while Locke played nearby.

She looked up as he reached the doorway and immediately got to her feet. “Rhett, what’s wrong? Is Link okay?” 

It was immediately obvious he wasn’t going to be able to hide anything from her, not given how he was currently feeling.  And besides, he had been the one advocating honesty, after all. He rubbed his face as he replied, “Link’s okay… as far as I know.” Seeing her look of alarm, he quickly continued, “I mean, Christy took him home. I haven’t heard from him in a little while. But Jessie…” he glanced at the boys. “I need to talk to you about something pretty serious.”

Her expression matched the seriousness on his face. “Okay. Let’s go outside.”

They went out to the back yard as Rhett wracked his brain for the best way to approach the conversation. By the time the kids were entertaining themselves far enough away to be within sight but out of earshot, he hadn’t really come up with anything. He decided the only way was to lay it all out on the table. 

He started from the beginning, after Link woke up in the hospital, and tried to describe how the feelings they had for each other had come to light over the course of the past few weeks. Jessie listened in silence, letting him tell the whole story without interruption. When he got to the point in the story where Christy walked in on them, he felt the panicky tears start to choke his throat. He eventually trailed off, looking at the ground, afraid of what expression he would see on Jessie’s face.

Her voice was carefully controlled. “Does this mean you want to leave me… for Link?”

“No!” Rhett’s response was loud enough that Locke and Shep looked over at them, and he waved at them reassuringly. He continued more softly, “No, I don’t want that. I love you. I want to stay with you. I want to keep this family together.” He paused. “I guess I want everything.” 

Jessie laughed, and it sounded sincere despite its edge of hysteria. “Oh, Rhett,” she said, “You never dream small.” 

He looked over at her, tentatively, and she was smiling wryly at him. “I’ve always known I had to share you with him,” she said. “Before we got married it was pretty obvious you’d be splitting your life between the two of us. You’re together all the time. And… you’ve loved him since before you loved me. You’ve loved him since first grade.” 

Rhett felt the tears gathering again. How many times had he cried today? But these tears sprang from the possibility of hope. “You… understand?” he asked.

“I wouldn’t say that. But I’m not as freaked out about it as I thought I would be. Maybe I always knew it was a possibility.” She reached for his hand, and he took it gratefully. “So long as you keep loving me and the boys, so long as you fulfill all your obligations and vows that you’ve made to me, I’m not going to get in the way of this. Just… be careful, Rhett. Be careful with us and with yourself.” 

Rhett put his arms around her and hugged her tightly. “You’re amazing,” he whispered. “Thank you.” 

She hugged him back. “You’re not out of the woods yet, hon. There’s still Christy to worry about.” He nodded, and the anxiety that had ebbed surged back. He had no idea how things were going in that regard. But, he still didn’t feel like there was anything he could do but wait. He decided to spend the rest of the day with Jessie and the boys, focused on them, trying not to think about how much his future happiness depended on a conversation that was happening miles away. 

It was a few hours later when he finally heard his phone ping, and pulled it out to see a single text from Link: “Sleeping here. Meet you at the studio in the morning. Things are not great.” Rhett texted back, “Anything I can do?” Link never responded. 

Rhett went to bed that night completely exhausted, emotionally and physically, yet unable to fall asleep for a long time. The whiplash of hope-despair-hope had every nerve raw. Sooner than he would have thought possible, it was morning and time to go back to the studio. 

He pulled into the studio lot and saw that Christy’s car was already parked, and she and Link were sitting inside it. Rhett waved at it awkwardly and went inside the building. A few minutes later, Link came in and closed the door behind him. He looked haggard; he certainly had gotten no more sleep than Rhett had. His hair looked unbrushed and his skin was pale and waxy. 

He walked over and Rhett opened his arms, offering a hug but not sure what was allowed now. Link stepped into his embrace with a long, shaky sigh. “I tried to explain everything,” he said quietly. “We talked all night.” Rhett stroked his hair as Link continued, his voice getting more strained, “She agreed to stay with me and try to work things out… but that’s it. She doesn’t want me to stay overnight here again. She’s taking the kids for a hike for a few hours and then coming back.”

Rhett’s heart hurt. Everything had been so good for such a brief amount of time. He put his face into Link’s hair, trying to stay calm. “Well, that’s better than nothing. There’s hope, Link.”

Link looked up at him with tear-streaked cheeks. “Do you think so?” 

Rhett nodded. “I do.” He filled Link in on the conversation with Jessie, again feeling overwhelmed with gratitude for her reaction. “If she can feel that way, maybe Christy can too.” He blushed. “We did give her quite a shock.” 

“Yeah, she had a lot to say about that,” Link’s voice was wry. “Something about seeing way more of you than she ever wanted to.” 

Rhett winced. “Oh, yeah…”  

Link abruptly shivered. “Can we sit down? I don’t feel too well.” 

They moved to the reassembled sofa and sat down together on it, Rhett’s arm around Link’s shoulders and the man’s head on his chest. Rhett looked down and saw the wound from the brain surgery through the thin growth of new hair. It looked red and angry. Link felt warm.

Rhett felt a bit concerned. “Are you on any meds anymore? Do you need me to get you something?”

Link shook his head and mumbled, “I’m just tired. Want to sleep on you.” He put his arm around Rhett’s waist and snuggled into him, stretching his legs out on the couch behind him. “Comfy,” Link murmured into Rhett’s chest. Rhett ran his hand soothingly along Link’s shoulder and arm. A nap sounded like a great idea, actually. He lay his head back on the cushions and allowed himself to doze off.

He awoke sometime later to a number of alarming sensations. Link still lay against his chest, but now his body felt heavy and hot like molten lead. Rhett’s shirt was damp from the other man’s sweat. Link’s breathing was short and ragged and every few seconds the muscles in his back spasmed visibly.

“Link?” He didn’t respond. “Link!” He shook him by the shoulder, panic building. Link raised his head slightly and Rhett took in his flushed face, slack jaw, and unfocused eyes. His hair was matted down in damp, dark curls. He mumbled something unintelligible and dropped his head back to Rhett’s chest. His hand on Rhett’s stomach curled tightly.

Rhett thought back to when Locke had a series of high fevers as a baby and the long nights he and Jessie had spent at the emergency room with him. He had never seen this sort of thing in an adult, though. This was bad. 

“C’mon, Link, we need to go.” He tried to sit up, but Link’s limp weight bore him down. Link made a soft whimpering noise as his muscles clenched again, arching his back. When they relaxed, he started shivering continuously.

Rhett shifted out from under him with considerable effort, then turned and put his arms under Link’s back and knees. He straightened with a grunt of effort, picking up Link and cradling him against his chest. Link’s head lolled back over Rhett’s arm. He seemed barely conscious.

Rhett staggered to the door, fumbled it open, and carried Link out to his car. He maneuvered Link into the passenger seat and leaned over him to fasten his seat belt. Link blinked up at him, wandering eyes full of confusion. “It’s okay, Link,” Rhett said soothingly. “I’m gonna take care of you.” 

He drove to Glendale Memorial as fast as he safely could while he tried to reach Christy. Her phone went straight to voicemail — she and the kids must be somewhere in the mountains. Rhett left a message and hung up. Link moved aimlessly in his seat, moaning softly. He quieted when Rhett put a hand on his knee. 

They pulled up to the Emergency Room entrance and Rhett jumped out of the car, yelling for a wheelchair. He extracted Link from the car and was holding him in his arms when an orderly brought one a minute later, and Rhett deposited him into it. Link made a sad noise when Rhett stood up, breaking body contact with him. Rhett put a hand on Link’s shoulder and used his other hand to steer the chair. “It’s okay, buddy. I’m here.” 

The intake process was straightforward on account of how recently Link had been to the hospital for treatment. The hardest part was when a nurse took the chair from Rhett and wheeled Link through the double doors, and Rhett was forced to stay behind.

He sat down in the too-familiar waiting area, staring ahead at nothing. He could barely think. He checked his phone and saw nothing from Christy. After some time, he heard a woman’s voice. “Mr. McLaughlin?”

He looked up to see one of the nurses that had attended Link closely in the ICU. “Oh, hi, Kelly.” He explained why he was here again, concluding with, “And I can’t get ahold of Christy, so Link is in there alone, and I don’t know what is happening to him.” He choked back a sob. 

She looked from side to side, then leaned forward conspiratorially. “I remember when you played your guitar for him. You should be with him. I’ll bring you there.”

Rhett followed her through the doors and down some hallways to a standard room. Link lay on the bed with his eyes closed, his shirt off and sensors attached to his chest, an IV in the back of his hand. An attendant stood by the foot of the bed and raised an eyebrow as Rhett and Kelly entered the room. She waved her hand at him and said, “It’s okay, he’s got my permission to be here.” The doctor nodded. 

“What’s the story, Doc?” Rhett asked. The man explained that Link had an infection, most likely a late-manifesting complication of the surgery. They had started him on IV antibiotics and ibuprofen to bring his fever down. By all accounts, it should not be life-threatening now that he was getting hospital care. Rhett sank to the chair by the bed. “Oh, thank God.” 

He took Link’s hand in his, stroking his hair with the other, brushing his damp curls off his forehead. His eyes lingered on Link’s angular jaw, his full, slightly parted lips, the lashes on his closed eyes so long they nearly brushed the tops of his cheeks. Rhett fixated on his face and didn’t notice when the other people left the room. 

Feeling far too similar to the last time he was in this position, Rhett started talking to Link. The other man wasn’t in a coma now, fortunately, but the delirium made him nearly unresponsive anyway. Rhett was confident Link could hear him despite the one-sidedness of the conversation. 

Rhett talked about how grateful he was for the last few weeks, how blessed he felt that Link cared for him and wanted to be with him. He talked about Jessie and the boys and how wonderful it would be if they could all be happy. He laid his head on Link’s shoulder and talked about how beautiful and clever Link was and how he didn’t tell him that nearly enough.

He paused for breath as the tears rolled down his cheeks. He heard a noise and looked up. Christy was standing in the doorway, hand to her mouth.

Rhett sat up warily. He didn’t let go of Link’s hand. “Hi Christy,” he said, his voice tight. “How long have you been there?” 

She stepped into the room and he saw the tears in her own eyes. “Long enough.” She moved around him to Link’s side and leaned over to kiss him on the forehead. His eyelids fluttered but didn’t open. She looked at Rhett and he looked back at her, feeling defiant and defeated all at once. 

Christy thought for a long moment before she spoke. “I always suspected, you know. The way he talked about you…” She shook her head with a rueful smile. “It’s like he’s had a crush on you his entire life but never admitted it to himself. And then they opened up his skull and let it out.” 

“Christy…” she held up her hand, and he let her continue. 

“I don’t like it. We’ve got three kids. Link means the world to me. But…” she took a deep breath. “It’s obvious he means the world to you, too. And I think… he needs you.” She looked Rhett in the eye, sternly. “If you think you can juggle all of this and make it work, I’m not going to stand in the way. But as soon as my marriage is undermined or my children start to suffer, it’s over.” 

Rhett nodded. “Okay. That’s fair, Christy. I have no idea what’s going to happen, but… thank you.”

She gave a wry smile. “Now can I have my husband’s hand, please?”

Rhett stood up and began to move away when Link’s hand tightened around his. He looked and saw Link’s eyes were open, and he was looking between Rhett and Christy with an expression of wide-eyed wonder. “Rhett,” he breathed. “I remember you, from before. I remember… everything.”  


	10. Chapter 10

Link was discharged later that day with a prescription for strong antibiotics and instructions to watch out for any symptoms of recurrence. Christy took him home and he spent two days there convalescing and spending time with her and the kids. On the second night, Rhett and Jessie brought the boys over to have dinner with the Neals. The atmosphere started off somewhat strained, but by the end of the meal they were bantering and laughing like the old friends they were. As the evening wound to a close, the feeling of relief was palpable. Nothing between them was broken beyond repair.

On the afternoon of the following day, Rhett paced the floor of the studio waiting for Link to arrive. It was the first time they were going to be alone together since everything was out in the open and Link’s memory had returned. The plan was for them to spend the night in the studio, assuming nothing went horribly wrong. 

There was no reason to think it would, but Rhett was nervous anyway. He and Link hadn’t had a chance to talk about their feelings for each other since the hospital, and he wasn’t entirely confident that things hadn’t changed as a result of Link remembering all of their earlier time together. Thirty years is a long time to accumulate baggage made out of little resentments and annoyances.  And yet, Link was still coming to the studio today, to be with him. Rhett was optimistic.

He debated with himself on whether to open up the sofa bed again, or if that would seem presumptuous. Heck, the condoms and lube Rhett had stashed in the drawer of the side table were certainly presumptuous, but worst case, he could always blame their existence on an intern. Or Jason. He chuckled to himself as he unfolded the bed and arranged the sheets. 

He was sitting at the kitchen table with his laptop perusing the internet when he heard the door open and Link call his name. “In here,” Rhett yelled, standing up. Link came into the room and tossed his bag into a chair. He was wearing the thin blue cotton hoodie that clung to his slim torso and brought out the color of his eyes so beautifully — one of Rhett’s favorites. Link looked up at him with a shy smile. 

“Hi, Rhett,” he said.

Rhett grinned back. “Hi, Link.”

They smiled goofily at each other for a few seconds before each took a step forward at the same time, meeting in an open-mouthed kiss. Rhett wrapped his arms around Link’s shoulders as the other man’s arms encircled his waist. They pressed into each other, Link’s back bending slightly under the force of Rhett’s kiss. The soft, hungry noises Link was making in his throat instantly kindled a fire in Rhett’s groin. The taste of him was intoxicating.

Rhett ran his hand up Link’s back and into his hair, twining his fingers through it. He pulled gently to get Link to look up at him. Link’s eyes were already glazed with desire. “I feel like I’ve been waiting years for this,” Rhett whispered. 

Link pulled against the hand in his hair in order to meet Rhett’s lips again before he answered. “I’ve been waiting my whole life.” 

Rhett tilted Link’s head to the side and kissed along his neck, nuzzling the curve of it as Link squirmed. Rhett let his breath tickle Link’s skin as he spoke. “You didn’t remember anything that made you change your mind?” 

Link gasped a breathy laugh, fingertips grasping Rhett’s lower back. “I remembered wanting you. Every day. Every time you looked at me. Every time you touched me. I wanted you.”  He pressed himself against Rhett, his arousal obvious through his tight jeans. “There were times I couldn’t think about anything else.” 

Rhett pulled Link’s collar to the side and grazed his teeth along the exposed skin. “All that time, I never noticed. You hid it so well under the awkwardness.” 

Link was making short whines of desire, moving his hips against Rhett’s thighs. “I was worried,” he said, speaking with difficulty. “I was worried you’d think I was a freak if… if you knew all the things I imagined doing with you.”  

Rhett moved his mouth up to Link’s earlobe, brushing his beard against it and eliciting a shiver. He whispered, “Oh, no. I want to know all about the things you imagined doing with me.” 

Link groaned and set his fingernails into Rhett’s back, more insistent now. “Please,” he begged, “Can we please be naked now?” 

Rhett grinned. He buried both hands in Link’s hair as he kissed him deeply, thoughts racing with all of the different things he wanted to do. He spoke softly, less than an inch away from Link’s mouth. “What would you think of getting into the shower with me?” 

Link’s breath came quickly. “Yes, oh yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea.” 

They moved to the bathroom and Rhett turned on the water. They quickly helped each other out of their clothes as the water heated up, kissing as their hands ran over each other’s chests. “Last time we were in here together was such a tease,” Rhett said. 

“It wasn’t fair,” Link agreed. “We should remedy that.” 

The room was filling with steam as Rhett drew the shower curtain and stepped in. He turned toward the water and let it run down his face. He heard Link draw the curtain closed behind him and a moment later felt Link’s body pressed against his back, slightly cool in contrast to the hot water on Rhett’s chest. Link’s hard cock nestled along the crack of Rhett’s ass, and Rhett let out a soft moan at the feel of it.

Link’s hands wandered around to Rhett’s chest, fingertips circling in his chest hair. One hand moved slowly downward, teasing its way down Rhett’s stomach. Rhett leaned his head back and closed his eyes under the flowing water, giving himself over to the luxurious combination of sensations. 

Link pushed himself against Rhett’s ass as his hand moved further down, tentative as it reached the base of Rhett’s erection. Rhett gasped as Link ran his thumb along the top of his cock, then closed his hand around it. Rhett reached out and braced his hands on the tiles in front of himself as his knees went weak.

Every slow movement of Link’s hand sent a wave of ecstasy through Rhett’s body, amplified by the potent sensation of Link’s cock sliding against his ass. Rhett heard himself making soft, deep noises with each exhalation. After a few minutes, Link took his hand away and Rhett leaned forward to press his face to the cold tile in front of him, trying to catch his breath. Link’s hands caressed his shoulders and back, then grasped his hips and gently indicated a desire for Rhett to turn around. 

Rhett eventually managed to convince his legs to move enough to comply. Link looked up at him with a mischievous smile. “All the times I imagined what it would feel like to touch you… and the reality is better than I ever dreamed.”

Rhett blushed, then leaned down to kiss him. As Link stepped closer, their cocks slid alongside each other and both men gasped. Link drew Rhett’s lower lip gently in his teeth as they ran their hands over each other’s sides. He pulled back and looked up at Rhett, running his tongue along his upper lip with a calculating expression. “But there’s something I thought about even more.” 

Rhett started to ask what that was but trailed off as he saw Link sinking slowly to his knees. “Oh, god,” Rhett breathed, rational thought completely absent from his brain. Link’s hands ran up the backs of Rhett’s thighs and cupped his ass as he brought his mouth to the head of Rhett’s cock. He circled it with his tongue, coyly, while Rhett trembled and gasped.  

Rhett wanted to bury his hands in Link’s hair, but didn’t want to take any of the control away from the other man. Instead, he laced his fingers together behind his own head and arched his back. He tilted his head back, eyes closed as he focused on the all-consuming sensations. The hot water pounded between his shoulder blades and poured down his backside. Link’s soft, full lips moved slowly down the length of his cock before pulling back, taking more of him in each time. Each movement drew a deep moan from Rhett’s throat. He braced his heels against both sides of the tub in an attempt to keep himself upright as his knees grew weaker and weaker.

After what seemed like ages of slow, agonized pleasure, Link leaned back. He gave a final, lingering kiss to the head of Rhett’s cock and got back to his feet. Rhett reached for him blindly, clutching Link’s shoulders and bringing him in for a kiss as he blinked to focus his vision. He looked down at Link’s wide blue eyes, trying to catch his breath. “That… was amazing,” he said.

Link’s lips drew up in an impish half-smile. “I could keep going, but I think we’re running out of hot water.” 

Rhett registered the fact that the water on his shoulders was significantly cooler than it had been when they got in. He also wasn’t sure he was going to be able to keep standing for much longer. He ran his hands down Link’s body, cupping his ass and pulling him close. “What do you say we move this party to the bed?” Link nodded with a breathless “mmm” of agreement. 

Rhett turned off the water and they quickly toweled off. Rhett took Link by the hand, feeling like a giddy teenager as he led him out to the main room, stumbling on legs weak with anticipation. 

He guided Link to the bed and laid him down onto his back. Rhett kissed him as he climbed onto the bed himself, knees together between Link’s thighs. He leaned down and put his arms under Link’s back and shoulders, bringing their chests together, putting their bodies as close as he could. Link lifted his legs and wrapped them around Rhett’s hips, pulling Rhett to him with an insistent rhythm. They were both breathing quickly, gasping as their cocks moved together. 

Link’s soft whines of desire every time Rhett’s weight bore down on him were driving Rhett out of his mind. He kissed along Link’s collarbones and into the notch between them, then raked his teeth up the side of his neck, reveling in the feeling of the man writhing beneath him. Link’s fingers dug into the skin of Rhett’s shoulders, grasping. “Please,” he murmured.

Rhett nuzzled his ear and nibbled his earlobe teasingly. He pitched his voice low as he growled, “What is it, Link? What do you want?” 

Link shivered. His mouth moved a few times before he could form words. “You, Rhett. Please, I want you.” His hips moved pleadingly.

Rhett moved back slightly so he could look into Link’s eyes. Link blinked back at him, eyes nearly closed, lips parted. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Rhett asked softly. Link immediately nodded, but Rhett also saw his eyes widen slightly in fear. “Tell me if you need me to stop or slow down,” Rhett said. “I don’t want to hurt you. There’s no need to rush.” Link nodded again. “I trust you,” he whispered. 

Rhett kissed him deeply, then sat up and retrieved a condom and the bottle of lube from the side table, putting them within easy reach on the bed next to him. He kissed his way down Link’s chest and stomach, nuzzling into his neatly trimmed pubic hair. He brushed his beard along the length of Link’s cock and grinned as Link gasped and squirmed. He ran his tongue along the same place and was rewarded with more squirming. Finally, he took Link’s cock into his mouth, slowly working his lips down the shaft. Link’s hips bucked and his legs trembled, soft mewling noises escaping his throat.

Rhett reached for the lube and squeezed a generous amount onto his fingers. Still slowly sucking Link’s cock, he worked a finger carefully into his ass. Link gasped and moaned with every movement, panting with the intensity of the sensation. Rhett added a second finger, then a third. Link’s hips rocked, his slim pelvis pinned between the attentions of Rhett’s mouth and hand.  

Rhett gently removed his fingers and sat back on his heels. He unrolled the condom onto himself as he watched Link, whose head was thrown back as he writhed in helpless desire. Rhett took Link’s knees and pulled them higher around his hips, then squeezed lube onto the condom and put the head of his cock at Link’s asshole.

Link’s eyes squeezed shut, his mouth open as he breathed quickly and shallowly. When he felt Rhett’s cock touch him, he drew in a huge gulp of air. “Okay?” Rhett asked. Link nodded, wordless, his muscles tense.

Rhett wrapped a lubed hand around Link’s cock, stroking it as he pushed himself slowly into Link’s ass. Link moaned sharply, pleasure overlaid with pain. Rhett stopped pushing but kept moving his hand, feeling Link relax around him as the pleasure took over. He could tell Link was getting closer to the edge as his panting came more quickly and his hips began to move again, bearing down on Rhett’s cock. “Oh god, oh god,” Link murmured over and over. His hands were down by his sides, grasping at Rhett’s knees, trying to pull him closer. Even though he held himself still, Rhett felt his own pleasure building, edged further by every twitch of Link’s hips. 

Rhett let go of Link’s cock and bent down to wrap his arms around his shoulders again, kissing Link’s open mouth. The change in angle elicited a new gasp from Link. He put his arms around Rhett’s lower back, holding him tightly and moving desperately against him. Rhett moved his hips, following Link’s lead, pushing deeper and faster. He watched Link’s face contort as he threw his head back, crying out wordlessly and shuddering as he came.

Rhett sat up with the feeling of Link’s come on his stomach, hot and sticky. His body’s own strident demands had become overwhelming. He put his hands on Link’s hips and held him tightly as he thrust hard once, twice, Link gasping beneath him. The third thrust put him over the edge and he came with a long groan, as deep inside of Link as he could go. The waves of ecstasy gripped him hard enough that he saw stars behind his closed eyelids.

He collapsed back onto Link’s chest, holding him tightly and kissing him as they both trembled in the aftershocks. After a few minutes, he leaned back just enough to see Link’s face, flushed and glistening, wet hair splayed around him in a dark halo. There were tears in his eyes. Rhett asked, “Link — are you okay?” 

Link smiled dreamily. Most of his mind was still off somewhere else. He reached a hand up and cupped Rhett’s cheek. “I am more than okay. I’m floating on a fluffy white cloud.” 

Rhett grinned and kissed him. “You’re delirious.” 

Link petted Rhett’s hair weakly. “Probably,” he said.

Rhett carefully pulled out of Link and wrapped the condom in a tissue, tossing it to the floor, then crawled to Link’s side. He lay down next to him and pulled him over, arm around his shoulders, so Link’s head was on his chest. Their legs twined together, keeping as much bodily contact as they could achieve. They spent a long time kissing tenderly, sleepily, adrift in the afterglow. 

Link’s hand curled and uncurled on Rhett’s chest. Underneath it, Rhett’s heart felt more full than it ever had before.  As he felt himself drifting off into real sleep, he whispered, “I love you, Link.”

Link pressed himself into Rhett’s chest, holding him tightly. “I love you, Rhett.” 

***

The morning dawned warm and bright. Rhett awoke to Link cuddled against him, his hair splayed over Rhett’s chest. Rhett shifted and stretched his legs languidly, smiling at the soreness in his thighs and the memories that came with it. He brought his hand up and stroked Link’s hair back from his face as the other man’s eyes slowly opened. 

Link looked up at him, eyes the color of the California sky framed by long, graceful lashes. His lips curved into a sleepy smile. Rhett leaned down and kissed him. “Morning, beautiful.” 

Link traced his fingertips along Rhett’s sternum. “Hi,” he said shyly.

Rhett held him close. “How are you feeling?” 

Link shifted his hips as his expression briefly took on the faraway look of memory. “Good,” he replied. “Perfect.” He leaned up for another kiss. 

Rhett stared into Link’s eyes, falling into them as if they were the only two people in the world. “This is really happening,” he whispered. “You and me.”

“You and me, Rhett. It’s happening.” 

They lay like that as sunlight slowly filled the room, content just to be close to one another. Rhett’s heart swelled with gratitude and love. It was going to be a wonderful day. 

______  
The End


End file.
